FATHER’S DAY: Spielgau IPA Glasses

June 2, 2013 at 3:35 pm · Filed under Beer & Hard Cider, Giftable, Kids

As any beer connoisseur knows, quality glassware enhances the enjoyment of quality craft beer. And you don’t have to be a connoisseur to know that there are different shapes of glasses for pilsners, wheat bees and other beer styles.

That‘s because nuances of engineering reflect the different attributes of a particular style of beer (or wine). For example:

Like a champagne flute, a tall, narrow glass enables the beer to release its flavor more slowly. But for someone who likes a pronounced head, a glass with a deep bowl allows it to form.

The classic stein and pint glasses are generic glassware that don’t nudge the beer in any specific direction. Before modern engineering, practicality and fashion ruled:

The 10-sided handled pint mug, introduced in the 1920s, kept the beer cooler longer by keeping warm hands off the glass.

IPA, Globe Pilsner, Wheat Beer and Tall Pilsner glasses. Photo courtesy Spielgau.

The dimpled glass, introduced in the 1940s, enhanced the visual appeal of the fashionable darker beers by allowing light hit the dimples in the glass.

Manufacturers of fine glassware learned that they could, among other adjustments, engineer glasses to bring out the particular qualities of a variety of beer:

A larger body keeps the beer cooler for longer.

Etching the bottom of the glass helps to maintain the head and the release of carbonation (so the beer doesn’t get flat as quickly).

A slightly narrow neck traps the aroma.

A double thick bottom better insulates from any warmth from the table top.

A stem or a narrower bottom where it’s comfortable to hold the glass keeps away heat from hands that could warm the brew.

An outward-turned lip can enhance the sweet notes of the beer.

Fron left to right: IPA glass, globe pilsner,
wheat beer glass and tall pilsner. Photo
courtesy Spielgau.

NEW IPA GLASSES

If you’re a fan of IPAs (India Pale Ales—which happen to be our favorite tyle of beer), check out Spiegelau’s new IPA glass. The manufacturer collaborated with Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada breweries to create a glass that best displays the nuances of IPA-style beers.

Twelve different prototypes were developed by Spielgau and tested by the bewers, designed to showcase varying aromatic profiles for “hop forward” IPA beers, preserve a frothy head and volatiles and maintain a comfortably wide opening for the drinker to “nose” the beer.

Why is the engineering so important? In the case of the IPA glasses:

Thin walls maintain proper beer temperature longer.

The slender, bowed shape amplifies the hops aroma.

Wave-like ridges aerate the beer to balance flavors.

A wide mouth allows the drinker to “nose” the beer comfortably for heightened aroma.

Raw quartz silica combined with state of the art production methods help sustain the head and the carbonation. It also delivers the beer evenly across the palate for a pleasant creaminess and harmony of sweetness and acidity.

The 19-ounce/540 ml glasses are $24.90 for a set of two. You can buy them on Amazon.

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