In quality, snootiness and overall variety, specialty glassware has risen hand-in-hand with the craft beer industry. Where once there were few options beyond beer steins and pint glasses, drinkers will find a wealth of options. From cheap restaurant glasses to Zalto’s beer-toting perfection, these are the best beer glasses you can buy right now.
Rastal Teku
The Teku glass is beer’s equivalent of the Zalto Universal wine glass. This is to say, it’s the benchmark by which every other glass is measured. Its wide base and narrow, thin-lipped top act to flush beer smells to the nose, and running against most other stemware, the glass is thick and won’t chip or break easily.
Zalto Beer Glass
If Teku glasses are the Zaltos of the beer world, Zalto’s own glass is something else altogether. Its blown by hand using the same lead-free glass as its other stemware, yet manages to be crack- and chip-resistant. The classic deep tulip shape is ideal for pilsners and their ilk.
Libbey Belgian Beer Glass
Meant for the endless varieties of Belgian beer, these wide and short glasses allow room for the drinker to swirl, agitate and sniff what it is they’re about the throw back. This specific glass is significantly thicker and sturdier than most Belgian-style glasses — if you want something with more finesse look toward Bormiolo Rocco’s brandy glass.
Spiegelau IPA Glass
Lead-free, lightweight, thin and especially adept at flushing heavy hop notes to the nose, the IPA glass is an aggressive departure from what folks expect from a beer glass. Though it’s questionable whether the peculiar honey wand-shaped base aerates your beer as some avid fans say, it’s still a pretty excellent glass.
Willi Becher Tumbler
The Willi Becher is a shift away from the classic conical pint glass into something more elegant — a pint glass with a heavier base and slightly tapered silhouette. It’s ideal for pilsners and lagers, and it has managed to worm its way into many a taproom in the U.S.
Bormioli Rocco Bodega Glasses
Apart from looking good, the best part of Bormioli’s excellent glasses is that they’re not just for beer. Long popular with bars and restaurants for their toughness and low cost, the Bodega glass is starting to pop up in even the most orthodox of beer joints.
Nachtmann Vivendi Stemmed Pilsner Glasses
Do you need Riedel’s higher-end, gorgeous stemmed glasses to drink pilsners and lagers? You don’t. But if a hushed Bauhaus-inspired flex and supreme beer clarity matter to you, they’re worth a look.
