Jar wars

Which type of beer glass should you use?

Beer is not wine, so why should you bother to match a beer style with a particular glass? Well, there are a variety of reasons. The shape can keep carbon dioxide in, for head retention, feel good factor, tradition, and many more! For me, a perfect beer is one drunk from the correct glass, mug or tumbler. Seeing the beer in a right glass, before taking a sip, makes it so much more enjoyable. I believe that this applies as much to beer as it does to wine.

In the 1500s every drinker had his own drinking cup. This habit came from the bubonic plague, which killed more than 25 million Europeans. Long before the spread of coronavirus, people reacted to pandemics with increased hygiene and less food and drink sharing. As humans are naturally rather vain, early beer mugs became an expression of taste and status. Tumblers made from glass only became available from the 18th century, which added a plethora of opportunity for beer drinkers to express their extravagances.

In the modern world of German beer, every brewer, drinker, pub landlord or beer sommelier would insist on the right glass.

Altbier (German Brown Ale)

Hoppediz, Krafty’s amber-coloured Altbier, originates from Duesseldorf in Germany. In traditional pubs there, it should be served in a 200ml cylindrical cup. A small cup ensures that the beer is always fresh. Waiters walk around with trays of freshly filled cups and when they spot an empty cup, they immediately replace it with a fresh one. The citizens of Duesseldorf and Cologne enjoy a little rivalry and while the tradition remains the same, glasses and beers differ venue-to-venue.

Koelsh

Krafty’s Rut&Wiess is a traditional straw coloured blonde Koelsh. Koelsh, which ‘from Cologne’, should be consumed from tall, thin 200ml glasses. Both Koelsh and Altbier are fermented in the style of British ale, but the fermentation temperature is lower. This leads to a crisper taste. Technically, they are an ale/lager hybrid.

Golden Ale

Krafty’s Golden Ale is best described as an international beer. The Suffolk malts and German hops give it a hoppy, fruity appearance. It is also a bit fizzier compared to English styles. Golden Ales are best enjoyed from either pint (568ml) or half pint (284ml) tumblers. The tumblers are constructed as to allow the carbon dioxide to bubble lazily straight upwards, like a string of pearls. Look at the golden coloured ale and the bubbles will make you want more before you have even had the first sip. Gorgeous!

Munich Helles Lager

The most well-known German beer jar in the UK is the “Stein” (Maß*), a massive jug made from either glass or clay. It holds a whole litre of beer and is most commonly associated with ‘Oktoberfest’ in Munich. There are even famous competitions where you can prove how strong you by carrying as many steins as possible. Each stein weighs approximately 1kg, which is doubled when filled with Krafty’s Blondie, our artisanal, unfiltered and fresh Munich Helles. Full steins are compulsory in Munich, but 500ml half-steins (halbe Maß*) are well accepted everywhere else by Helles lovers. “Ein Prosit…”

* “Maß” is also the Bavarian equivalent for one litre of beer. You either order a “Maß” or a “halbe Maß” depending on your thirst level. Don’t worry, every waiter/waitress in Bavaria will understand your order!

Weißbier

You should never drink a Bavarian wheat beer out of any other than a 500ml “Weißbierglas”. To the natives, it would be seen as blasphemy. Krafty’s Blau&Weiss and Schwarz&Weiss are flavoursome, traditional Bavarian wheat beers. They look and taste best in traditional wheat beer jars, which are tall, curled and reminiscent of tulips. The form widens at the top to hold a huge head of ‘Weißbiers’. Pour carefully and let the beer run slowly down the side of the glass to prevent over-foaming. All traditional ‘Weißbiers’ are intentionally fizzy. Sit at your favourite outdoor space on a sunny evening and watch the bubbles from your favourite Krafty ‘weißbier’ fizz in the glass as the sun fades. Marvellous!

Cheers&Prost,

Uli

Beer glass illustrations © bier.de