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These 6 Glasses Can Make Good Beer Taste Even Better

A good beer glass isn’t just for looks. It can actually make your favorite beer smell and taste better.

beer glassPhoto by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

By Will Price, Will Porter, and Jack Seemer

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Move over, steins. Specialty glassware has risen hand-in-hand with craft beer. Drinkers these days will find a variety options bested only by the sheer quantity of IPAs on store shelves.

Of course, in a pinch, any vessel will do. But the shape and thickness of the glass both play a role in how beer looks, smells and even tastes. Here’s your 6-pack of glassware greats.

Best All-Around Beer Glass

The Teku glass is beer’s equivalent of the Zalto Universal wine glass. This is to say, it’s the benchmark by which every other beer glass is measured.

The Teku’s wide base and narrow, thin-lipped top act to flush beer smells to the nose. And, unlike most other stemware, the glass is thick and won’t chip or break easily.

Best Upgrade Glass

If Teku glasses are the Zaltos of the beer world, Zalto’s own glass is something else entirely.

The Zalto Beer Glass blown by hand using the same lead-free glass as its other stemware, yet it manages to be crack- and chip-resistant.

The classic deep tulip shape is ideal for pilsners and their ilk.

Best Beer Glass for Belgian Styles

Libbey Craft Brews Classic Belgian Beer Glasses (Set of 4)Libbey

Set of 4

Libbey Craft Brews Classic Belgian Beer Glass

Designed for the endless varieties of Belgian beer, these wide and short glasses allow room for the drinker to swirl, agitate and sniff whatever it is they’re about the throw back.

This specific glass is significantly thicker and sturdier than most Belgian-style glasses. If you want something with more finesse look toward Bormiolo Rocco’s brandy glass.

Best Beer Glass for IPAs

beer glass with amber-colored beerSpiegelau

Set of 4

Spiegelau Beer Classics IPA Glass

Lead-free, lightweight, thin and especially adept at flushing heavy hop notes to the nose, the IPA glass is an aggressive departure from what folks expect from a beer glass.

Though it’s questionable whether the peculiar honey wand-shaped base aerates your beer as some avid fans say, the ridges add visual appeal and make the glass easier to hold.

Best Beer Glass for Pilsners

The Willi Becher is a shift away from the classic conical pint glass into something more elegant — a pint glass with a heavier base and slightly tapered silhouette.

It’s ideal for pilsners and lagers, which is why it has managed to worm its way into many a respected taproom in the US.

Best Everyday Beer Glass

Apart from looking good, the best part of Bormioli’s excellent glasses is that they’re not just for beer.

Long popular with bars and restaurants for their toughness and low cost, the Bodega glass is starting to pop up in even the most orthodox of beer joints.

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