Tasting Table Asks: Which Type Of Glass Do You Prefer For Beer?
There are plenty of variables when it comes to beer. Beer options range far and wide, from hazy India pale ales to dark stouts — Guinness, anyone? Time outlines the differences between such varieties by highlighting the fermentation process. Depending on the temperature, timeline, and technique at which yeast ferments, beer is destined to become either a lager or an ale; however, more varieties and flavors emerge from that point onward.
Picking and tasting beer comes down to personal preference, and choosing requires keeping up with ever-changing trends. According to VinePair, beer marketing has undergone various stages of evolution and is now niche enough to offer something to everyone of legal age. The popularity of beer, particularly craft beer, has led to a surge of breweries across the U.S., which has given rise to different styles of beer, widening the drink's potential.
Novice beer drinkers may therefore undergo some trial and error before they determine which beer best suits them. But choosing the beer itself is only half the battle. Your drink is only as good as its glass — a concept Tasting Table's latest survey rallied behind. Tasting Table asked 567 people about their go-to beer vessel. One glass received the most votes or, rather, the most pours.
A mug isn't just for coffee
Quality brews call for quality glasses or, in this case, mugs. Beer mugs aren't the same as those that carry your morning coffee; rather, they are thick, cylindrical glasses with durable handles, more than capable of carrying your beer of choice (per Kegerator). As such, the majority of those who responded to Tasting Table's latest survey cited mugs as essential beer glasses. Mugs received 251 votes, or 44.27% of the favor.
With mugs as the frontrunner, the days of the shaker pint are waning, though not entirely in the past. According to Bloomberg, pints are one of the most traditional vessels for beer, but the surge of craft brews has called for an upgrade. Pints prevent a beer's aromas from fully releasing and often result in a drink warmed by hands pressing directly against the glass.
Still, the pint maintains its fair share of fans, with 150 people in favor of the common option. This equates to 26.46% of the vote, positioning the pint strongly in second place. Pilsner glasses, then flutes and goblets, followed suit. The former received 82 votes, with 14.46% of people in its corner. Flutes and goblets fared similarly; 41 people voted for flutes, while 34 people favored wider goblets. These numbers accounted for 7.23% and 6% of the vote, respectively. Snifter glasses rounded off the rankings, receiving only nine votes. Less than 2% of people favored this funky stemware, proving that, yes, the glass matters.