Beer Glassware - The Snifter

Leia Cake Imperial Stout by Boutilliers

When you are beer tasting you should always decant your beer into a glass. This opens up the aromas and flavours and lets you have a good look at the beer.

There is a wide range of beer glasses available, each with their advantages. In this series of posts I will take you through each style of glass and what beers it is best to use for.

The Snifter Glass

The snifter glass is probably most recognisable as a glass used when drinking brandy or cognac. It was first written about in history by the Roman Statesman Pliny the Elder (a beer link there!) who lived between 23-79AD. The glass was preferred to gold and silver goblets at the time and glass vessels were priced the same as those made of precious metals. Snifter glasses are also seen in the painting The Last Supper from the 16th Century.

The meaning “large bulbous stemmed glass for drinking brandy” arrived in 1937 and was derived from snuff taking and the reaction the nose makes when doing this.

Pain in the Glass sour by Little Earth Project

Snifter glasses have a bulbous, bowl shaped middle, a short stem and a round glass bottom for stability. The shape allows for the beverage inside to be swirled, releasing the aroma and opening it up. The top tapers in to catch the aromas. The drinker can then stick their nose into the glass and take a good sniff - reminiscent of the name!

Bianca Blueberry Maple Pancake Lassi Gose by Omnipollo

Snifter glasses are often used form Strong Ales, Imperial Stouts, Double IPAs and Barley Wines. I have one that I use specifically for stouts. The shape allows me to warm the beer if needed with my hands, but the stem removes the heat when it is no longer needed. Stouts are more aromatic and the bulbous shape opens up the complex flavours and captures the rich aromas.

Nitro Caribbean Chocolate Cake by Siren Craft Brew

Do you have a Snifter in your beer glass collection? Let me know in the comments.