My Beer Glassware & Care
From Wikipedia, Michael Jackson's "The Beer Hunter" glassware set.
This is an old post from a previous blog that I decided to carry over in order to keep it with all things beer related.
Recently I had a friend ask me about what kind of beer glassware I have and how I wash them. I’ve decided to adapt my email to a blog post. Please keep in mind I’m not the authority. Everyone does things differently and has different opinions. I’m sure you could ask brewers, beer critics and connoisseurs and get a different answer for each of your questions about glassware and care.
My glassware:
3 Tulips, 2 from Crate & Barrel and 1 longer stemmed from Half Acre 2 Goblets or the ‘Hops Beer Glass’ from Crate & Barrel 1 12oz Snifter (the other one broke) from World Market 2 Imperial Pint Glasses (16oz) 4 Pilsner glasses from Crate & Barrel A slew of the 12oz shaker pint glasses 1Sam Adams glass
I primarily use the tulips for Belgians, saisons, sours and occasionally for imperials or doubles if I’m in a pinch and my snifters are dirty. I use the snifter(s) primarily for imperials, doubles, barleywines and other high gravity/abv brews. I’ll use the goblets for almost everything else, IPA’s and other ales with nice aromas, so I can stick my big nose in the glass. The imperial pint glasses are nice for 16oz cans and they have a nice bulb to help with the aromas and grip. I also almost always have to drink a regular English stout or English ale from an imperial pint or pint glass, it seems wrong to pour them in a snifter/goblet/tulip. In the summer I like the pilsner glasses for pilsners and lagers (obviously) but also for wheats. The Sam Adam’s glass is also good for a number of things but I rarely use it.
I don’t always stick to the above though. For example, I have a limited run milk stout from 3 Floyds aged in port barrels with brandy soaked chillis that I will more than likely drink from a snifter when I crack it. A full pint of that may be too much. Also I am by no means a snob that has to drink each beer from it’s specific glass. I’ve used stemless wine glasses in place of goblets and tulips when at someone’s house.
You can get some very nice glasses that are hand-blown and imported from Belgium, but they’re like $10-15 each. While they are very nice, I don’t feel comfortable (or one of my drunk friends) holding while moderately ‘buzzed’ what could be collectively $20+ worth of booze and glass so I opt for the $5 & under range. Though most tulips will almost never be under $5 I try to stay in that range. I’ve broken too many glasses before.
New Belgium makes a really nice goblet with etching in the bottom to keep the beer aerated. Those were my first real beer glasses, you can get them for free with a 12 pack, you just have to pay for shipping. Though now I’ll usually try to aerate it on the pour. The pour is important for most beers too. It’s a habit from our college/keg days to tip the glass but not all beers are overly carbonated and require that – most bottle conditioned and Belgians do. Otherwise you can just dump it right in, let it hit the very bottom of the glass you’ll have a nice head.
Photo coourtesy of drocksays (Flickr)
A lot of beers have suggested glasses or some Belgian or German brewers actually have their own glasses for their beer. I try to match it as close as possible with what I’ve got on hand. Though if I were drinking something like Chimay or Duvel on a regular basis I’d probably buy one of their glasses. For more on glasses for specific beers, the Brewers Association has a nifty guide here. You’ll see that if you have the staples, a goblet, tulip, snifter and a pint, you you’ll be fine. If you’d like to round it out, maybe throw in a pilsner or weiss glass.
For cleaning and care, I used to throw them in the dishwasher. I didn’t know any better. After a while though I noticed the detergent film on the glass and most beers that provided good lacing didn’t do that anymore. Now, with my new set of glasses I hand-wash them with mild dish soap, hot water and with my bare hand. I make sure I rinse them really good with cold water and dry them with a paper towel if I’m going to use them right away. If not, I let it dry open side down on a paper towel on the counter. I don’t want to use a sponge/brush because oils/foods that could be on it and stick to the glass. Though I could get a dedicated brush for my glasses – I haven’t done that yet. Additionally, I plan to get a bottle of some oil free soap to use only with my glassware.
Some people insist on not using soap and only hot water to clean their glassware. I think my brother doesn’t use soap, I’ve tried that and it doesn’t seem to get the glass really clean. Also, it seems extreme and borderline unsanitary. All the beer bars use some kind of mild soap to clean their glassware otherwise they’d be shut down by the health department. In fact the Brewers Association has specific guidelines for cleaning glassware outlined here.
That’s my take on my glassware and care. Any suggestions or feedback on you do it? Drop me a line below.