Beer GlasswareEverything you ever wanted to know and then some..

Presented by TrueBeer.com

Overview

• Evolution of beer glassware• Types of beer glasses• Why glassware matters• Required glassware for your bar or homebar• Pairing glasses with beer styles• Beer Glass Tips

History

• Sumerians are thought to have invented beer over 7,000 years ago. Sumerian tablets included beer recipes, beer laws and depictions of beer drinking.

Sumerian Beer continued..

• A 3900-year-old Sumerian tablet (fig.4.2), with a poem honoring Ninkasi (fig. 4.1), the patron goddess of brewing, contains the oldest surviving beer recipe, describing the production of beer from barley via bread.

• Figure 4.3 shows a Sumerian god enjoying a beer. This is perhaps the oldest depiction of beer consumption.

Figure 4.1 Figure 4.2 Figure 4.3

First Beer “Glass”

• First documented beer serving vessel was the clay jug used in ancient Sumeria. Figure 5.1

• Beer was served in a jug with long reed straws. Figure 5.3.

• Clay tumblers were also used to serve beer. Figure 5.2

Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2 Figure 5.3

Egyptian Beer

• The Egyptians continued what the Sumerians began. Beer was enjoyed in tumblers (fig. 6.2) and clay jugs with reed straws (fig. 6.3).

• Beer was often known as "Hqt" ("heqet" or "heket"), "tnmw" ("tenemu") and  haAmt ("kha-ahmet")

• The determinative of the word Hqt (beer) was a beer jug. Figure 5.1 show beer being brewed and clay jugs being filled.

Figure 6.3Figure 5.2Figure 5.1

Middles Ages

• Common beer drinking vessels in Europe during the middle ages were wooden tankards (fig. 7.1), Clay mugs (fig. 7.2) and carved horn (figure 7.3).

• Glass was rarely used in ancient and middle ages. The Church suppressed glassmaking (considered it an unholy art).

Figure 7.3Figure 7.2Figure 7.1

Steins

• Invented in Germany in 1500’s. Lid was required by law to keep plague causing insects from getting in the beer.

Glass Introduced• Glassware production increased in Europe as the power of the Catholic church

waned in the 1500’s. • Germans were the first to embrace glassware for beer. These early enameled items

were mainly tumblers and pokals.• Glassware was produced for more affluent people. Cost prohibitive for average folk.• Early beer glasses were made from mouth blown glass and were very delicate.

Pressed Glass

• Pressed glass is a type of glass made using a plunger to press molten glass into a mold. It was first patented by American inventor John P. Bakewell in 1825 to make knobs for furniture.

• By the mid-19th century most inexpensive mass-produced glassware was made from pressed glass. (1850–1910)

Beer Glasses in 1900’s

• Popular beer glass styles in the 1900’s included the Pilsner, Mug, Goblet and Schooner (Chalice).

Modern Beer Glasses• Competition in the beer industry triggered the creation of many branded beer items

including glasses. This led to the diversification of beer glass styles as breweries used glassware a point of differentiation in the market place.

• Styles coalesced in Europe and America after prohibition. • Use of obscure glass styles waned in the USA as beer became more homogenized

by the major national breweries.• Beer glassware in Germany is paired by style of beer.• Belgium pairs glassware by individual beer brand.

Types of ModernBeer Glasses

Why You Need The Proper Glassware• Three reasons why you need proper beer

glassware:

#1 – Improved experience

#2 – Beer style diversification

#3 – Consumer Expectations

Improved experience

• Serving beer in glassware make the beer taste better.

• 50% of taste comes from smell. Serving beer in a bottle does not allow for enough exposed surface area for the aroma of beer to be released.

• Pouring beer in right glass allows a head to form which releases scent molecules that are inhaled enhancing the experience.

Growth and craft Beer Diversity

• Growth of the craft brewing industry in 2011 was 13% by volume and 15% by dollars compared to growth in 2010 of 12% by volume and 15% by dollars. Source: Brewers Association 3/26/2012

• Craft brewer retail dollar value in 2011 was an estimated $8.7 billion, up from $7.6 billion in 2010.

• The styles of craft beer are diverse. Serving beer in the style appropriate glassware shows your knowledge and commitment to craft beer.

• Here is a breakdown of the top beer styles sold in the USA:

Source: SymphonyIRI 2011

• Great expectations• Craft beer drinkers are knowledgeable and

expect establishments to share their enthusiasm and knowledge of the segment.

• If this is the only beer glass behind your bar, you’re not meeting expectations.

Consumer Expectations

Required GlasswareYes, all of them.

Pokal Glass Mug Pint Tulip Wheat Beer

StangeWine GlassGobletFluteSnifter

Pairing Beer & Glasses

Visit www.TrueBeer.com for full list of pairings.

Beer Glassware Tips

• Never place beer glasses in the freezer. Cool beer not your glass.

• Only stack glasses that are designed to be stackable.

• Don’t pour cold beer into hot glasses, i.e., fresh from the dishwasher.

• Dry glasses using a bar mat to allow for drainage and air flow.