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The perfect temperature
Chill the beer to your desired tasting temperature, typically 40 - 45 °F although this may vary depending on beer style. Beers with big flavor, such as Belgian ales, don’t release their aromas until they hit about 50 °F. Chilling your beer to a lower temperature will mask the flavor.
Find the perfect glass
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Mug
Heavy, sturdy, large and with handle, the mug is a fun and serious piece of glassware that comes in many sizes and shapes. The best part of using a mug is that you can clink them together with more confidence than other types of glassware, and they hold loads of beer. Seidel is a German mug, while a Stein is the stone equivalent that traditionally features a lid, the use of which dates back to the Black Plague to prevent flies from dropping in.
Benefits: Easy to drink out of. Holds plenty of volume. Use with these beer styles: Ayinger Celebrator; Michelob Amber Bock; Flying Bison Blizzard Bock.
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Pilsner Glass
Typically a tall, slender and tapered 12-ounce glass, shaped like a trumpet at times, that captures the sparkling effervesces and colors of a Pils while maintaining its head. A Pokal is a European Pilsner glass with a stem.
Benefits: Showcases color, clarity and carbonation. Promotes head retention. Enhances volatiles. Use with these beer styles: Labatt Blue/Blue Light; Brooklyn Pilsner.
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Pint Glass
Near cylindrical, with a slight taper and wide-mouth. There are two standard sizes, the 16-ounce (US Tumbler - the pour man's pint glass and most common) or the 20-ounce Imperial (Nonic), which has a slight ridge towards the top, a grip of sorts and helps in stacking them. The 20-ounce version is preferred to accommodate more beer or beers with large crowning heads. A Becker is the German equivalent, tapering at the top.
Benefits: Cheap to make. Easy to store. Easy to drink out of. Use with these beer syles: Saranac (Imperial) IPA; Long Trail IPA; Great Lakes Commodore Perry; Blue Point Hoptical Illusion; Brooklyn EIPA; Lake Placid IPA; Goose Island IPA; Samuel Smith’s IPA; Great Lakes Burning River; Brooklyn Pennant Ale; Saranac Pale Ale; Lake Placid 46er Pale Ale; Bass Ale; Boddington’s Pub Ale; Long Trail Pale Ale; Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale; Goose Island Honker’s Ale.
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Weizen Glass
Nothing beats serving your Weizenbier (wheat beer) in an authentic Bavarian Weizen Glass. These classy glasses, with their thin walls and length, showcase the beer's color and allows for much headspace to contain the fluffy, sexy heads association with the style. Most are 0.5L in size, with slight variations in sizes. Forget the lemon garnish, the citric will kill the head.
Benefits: Specifically produced to take on volume and head, while locking in the banana-like and phenol aromas associated with the style. |
The perfect pour
Use a clean glass. A dirty glass containing oils, dirt or residuals from a previous beer may inhibit head creation and flavors.
Hold your glass at a 45° angle. Pour the beer, targeting the middle of the slope of the glass. Don’t be afraid to pour hard or add some air between the bottle and glass.
At the half-way point bring the glass at a 90° angle and continue to pour in the middle of the glass. This will induce the perfect foam head. Remember, having a head on a beer is a good thing. It releases the beer’s aromatics and adds to the overall presentation. You may also want to gradually add distance between the bottle and glass as you pour, to also inspire a good head. An ideal head should be 1” to 1-1-1/2”.
Savor the taste
Bring your nose up to the glass to appreciate the beer’s “nose” of esters, hops, malts and other aromatics. Savor a hearty sip of the beer and allow it to reach all the areas of you tongue and mouth before swallowing to assure you experience the full balance of all flavors.
Enjoy!
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