Many people love the taste of a cold beer, especially on hot days. At one time, everyone drank beer or lager from the same type of glass – a straight glass – but many drink manufacturers now offer their own custom-style glasses to serve their drinks in. Some beer drinkers still prefer to drink from a beer tankard. But does the shape of the glass change the taste of the beer? Many beer drinkers insist it does.
Engraved beer tankards are a popular gift for beer lovers. They’re a great personalised gift, but what difference do they make to how beer tastes?
Size
Jane Peyton has the grand title of the Beer Sommelier of the Year. She is also an ambassador for Friends of Glass, a group that champions the use of glass containers and their sustainable recycling properties. She says that the shape of the glass of beer tankard really does make a difference to the taste of the beer.
One of the main factors that affects taste is the size of the glass and its rim. She explains:
“Narrow-mouthed rims encourage sipping and so the beer reaches the front and sides of the tongue first, where sweetness and acidity register. A wide mouthed rim encourages glugging which directs the beer to the back of the tongue where bitterness registers.”
Of course, if you use an engraved beer tankard, you can choose to sip or glug the beer from it and this will affect your experience of the beer’s taste rather than the size of the tankard.
Shape
The shape of the glass also affects the taste of beer or lager. An oval-shaped glass creates a constant swirl of bubbles, resulting in a creamy and stable head. This allows the development of aromas, affecting how the beer tastes.
Oval glasses with stems mean that drinkers hold the glass by the stem, keeping hands away from the cold beer or lager so that it does not warm up and change how the beer tastes.
The Budvar tankard
Budvar is the only major lager brand that serves its beer in a tankard that is tall, narrow and straight0sided. The Czech brewer claims that its tankard improves the drinking experience.
Around 80% of the beer taste comes from scents. Budvar’s light foam is designed to catch the aroma, and the special tankard helps this process.
An engraved beer tankard is not just about the taste
Although it clearly can make a difference, few people choose an engraved glass beer tankard because it makes the beer taste better. More likely, they do so because it’s a thoughtful gift that can be engraved with a personalized message, or given by a business to mark an achievement.
A top-quality engraved crystal beer tankard is a beautiful and precious item that some people proudly display in a glass cabinet. Tell a beer lover that the tankard will increase his or her drinking pleasure and they will take it out of the display cabinet every time they fancy a glass of beer at home.
