And now for something slightly different…...I’m going to have a ramble about the merits and disadvantages of different glassware. Lame I know!
Those who would rather watch paint dry or Matt Hancock crying on live TV, switch article now, you have been forewarned!!
Pint
El classico of the beer world and the serving receptacle of choice for 99% of boozers up and down the country. It’s safe to say a lot of us honed our beginner’s game drinking lager or perhaps cask ale out of these sturdy jars and for that, there will always be fond nostalgia. If pint glasses were ever to form a trade union on account of mass neglect, 2020 would be the year for it with pubs shut for major periods due to the pandemic.
In terms of drinking qualities, there are few I can think of other than housing 568 mls (an imperial UK pint) and who doesn’t want more beer!! Similar to the bodega, the pint glass is poor for containing aromas and similarly, quite tall and clunky – if you knock that over, you are going to have very wet pants my friend.
I wouldn't advise for anything other than bog standard lager or bitter.
Celebrity Comparison – Brian Blessed
Snifter
The snifter (or brandy snifter) comes in many forms but is characteristically a short-stemmed glass with a wide bottom and relatively narrow top (you know it’s going to be Kimmy K before I have even said my bit!).
This is a bit of major league all-star when it comes to containing beer – the narrow lid traps those coveted aromas for major nosefeel. The stem offers the opportunity to look highly pompous with your holding game and avoid warming the contents and conversely, the wide bottom can be cupped in the hand if you want maximum traction to do some major guzzling irrespective of temperature or in fact need to add a degree to your overly chilled chubby stout.
Downsides – these darlings are more intricate, delicate and therefore, prone to breakage. They can also be a bugger to find a place for in the dishwasher so handwashing might be required and is probably advised in any event.
Whilst they can be used willy nilly on anything you like, if it's a good one and quite pricey, maybe save for your occasion beers.
Celebrity Comparison - I lied, whilst the curvature does denote Kimmy K, I like these and wanted to choose a less odious celebrity so…Kourtney Kardashian.
Bodega
I’m a big fan of the Bodega and for anyone who has checked out my IG account (Lushhops), you will see that I do a fair bit of my drinking out of these and the pictured Mikk bodega in particular.
These sturdy chodes are basically like a compacted pint glass and often house a 440ml can o’ juice perfectly. They are robust and sit nicely in the hand with the thicker walls stopping your clammy mitts from warming up the prize contents too quickly.
What a bodega gives you in laidback comfort factor, it sadly loses on account of its gaping orifice. Taste is a multi-sensory sensation and the importance of that nosefeel cannot be diminished. Rather than trapping and recirculating those wonderful aromas, the bodega’s design releases these to the wild to tantalise someone else's nostrils.
I wouldn't advise for complex stouts or heavily hopped beers (yet I regularly don't heed my own warnings!) but they work well for your routine craft lagers, pales and IPAs.
Celebrity Comparison – The Dude (Big Lebowski)
Teku
Last but certainly not least, we get to the beergeeks’ beloved Teku.
These exhibit many of the qualities of the Snifter but with a pretty, although occasionally quite angular, tulip-like shape. The long stem proves a winner for temperature maintenance and adds some height for the all-important glass alongside can photo for the gram. Again, the narrow mouth traps and swills the aroma for a top drawer nosefeel.
My only real criticism would again be the disposition to breaking and believe me it’s a sad day when one of these bites the dust and similarly, the awkward dilemma of dishwash vs handwash. Nit-picking aside, a major player in the glass world!!
An all-rounder that can be deployed for IPAs, DIPAs, TIPAs and stouts with major aplomb.
Celebrity Comparison – Jude Law (classy, dependable, easy on the eyes but getting on a bit)
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