How To Start a Beer Glass Collection

I recently did an Instagram Live about glassware (which you can watch here), why it was important to have glassware and why we have different styles. After that Instagram Live, I was asked the question, but how do I start a beer glass collection? So today, I'm going to tell you how I started my beer glass collection, and how you can start yours as well.

Why do I need a beer glass collection?

When you first start drinking craft beer, any glass will do. The reason we put beer in a glass so that we can see it because we also drink with our eyes.  The colour, the clarity, the head, and the carbonation are also really important when we are discovering what a beer tastes like. Any glass that you have at home will do. A wine glass would be perfect. You can also use any kind of tumbler. As long as it is clean. There is a way to get a glass ‘beer clean’, check out my podcast episode about beer clean glassware here. When I started tasting beer, I used a nonic pint glass - that is that very classic looking British pint glass with the bubble at the top.  Any straight-sided glass will also work. But as you will discover as we go through this post, there are different glasses that work well with different beer styles.

How I started my Beer Glass Collection

My first proper beer glass from Sam Adams

Looking back, I started my proper beer glass collection with a branded beer glass. My first glass was a Sam Adams Boston Lager glass. This was specially designed by Sam Adams for their beer, they took two years to design it with a glass designer. The shape is designed so that you hold it at the bottom putting the least amount of heat on the beer. It bubbles out at the top to open up the aromas and flavours. And it has a row of beading at the top that captures the head to keep those aromas in. It's also nucleated at the bottom, which allows the carbonation to stream straight up through your beer and release all those lovely aromas and flavours. I bought this glass because Sam Adams was the beer that got me into beer. So it was an important glass to me.

When you are starting your beer glass collection, you may want to look at breweries that you really enjoy. They undoubtedly have branded glassware, and they will have picked glasses that they think go really well with their beers, so it's a good place to start.

A branded tulip glass from a local craft beer bar

You may also end up with branded glassware from festivals. My newest beer glass is from Brew LND; I find that the ones from festivals can sometimes have too much printed on the outside. This makes it difficult to see the beer but they are fun to have. Sometimes they're not the best shape either. This is a straight-sided one, so it's not the best for beer tasting, but they are fun to have in your glass collection.

Building a Beer Glass Collection

If you want to build your beer glass collection quickly, one place to start is buying sets. Look in places like TK Maxx or on Amazon, search for craft beer glass collection, and you will find sets of glasses that are supposed to be for a wide range of beers. You generally get glasses that are for a lager, a wheat, a stout, and an IPA as a base for glassware and for correct shapes. That will start you off really well.

My recommendations for a beer glass collection

A Teku is a great all-rounder glass

My personal recommendations for a beer glass collection would be to have an all-rounder and then look at beer glasses that go with the styles that you enjoy drinking. A good all-rounder glass is a Teku. This is a stemmed beer glass so you're not putting heat on the beer. It has a wide shape to open up the aromas and flavours and it curves in at the top that captures the head of the beer. They also have a nice sturdy base so you can't knock it over too easily. A Teku is a great all-rounder glass for any beers that you're tasting. I would also recommend if you like darker beers to invest in a snifter glass.  They have a bowl shape like a brandy glass, again, opening up those aromas and flavours, which in darker beers are really important. Having one each of those in your collection will mean that you have something to cover most bases.

A Snifter glass is great for dark, sour and stronger beers

Other types of glass to have in your beer glass collection

A branded Allegra glass from Duration Brewery

A lot of breweries are enjoying the Allegra tumbler as their branded item. This is a good all-rounder glass. They are not my favourite, however, because they have no stem, and you're going to be putting the heat of your hands on your beer directly. If you're drinking lighter beers, you're going to warm them up quickly. But you can have any kind of beer in an Allegra glass. I have also invested in taster glasses, I like a slightly smaller glass, again with a stem so that I can taste a range of beers in one sitting and then I only have to have a small amount. You may want to have a flight set of these, so three, or four so that you can try several beers. Tasting sets are also good for sharing beers with friends, because you can share out the beer between you if you have several sets.

Smaller tasting glasses are great for sampling beers

Choose Style Appropriate Glasses for your Beer Glass Collection

Choosing beer glassware that is appropriate to your beer is also really important. If you prefer a lager beer, finding maybe a Pilsner glass or a glass tankard, would be better for that beer style. If you like a wheat beer then you would want to invest in a weisse vase, so that captures the lovely wheat head on the beer. Have a look to see what beer glassware is appropriate for your favourite style and invest in some of those for your collection.

A weissebier vase is an excellent example of style appropriate glassware

Starting a beer glass collection is a lot of fun. It does take up a lot of room so be aware that it is addictive, and you will start to take over your house with various different glasses. Look for a wide range of different shaped glasses. I also like to invest in interestingly shaped glasses. Then you have something for every style that you could possibly try. Your beer glass collection will grow as your love of beer grows. Pick beer glasses that you love, but be prepared - at some point you're going to break one and then it will break your heart!

I've several blog posts here on the Love Beer Learning Blog about different beer glasses that you could add to your beer glass collection. Click here to check those out.

If you have any questions about beer glassware, hop on over to Instagram here to let me know so I can answer them for you!