“What the hell is that?!” – was that your first thought? I know it was mine…But take a second to look past it’s first impression funkiness and get to know this gem and what it has to offer. And all you hopheads out there – your prayers may have been answered – a glass designed specifically for your precious IPA’s.
Not (yet) big on IPA’s? Try this glass by Spiegelau. It will change the way you experience these hop-forward ales. (And start home brewing.. it will give you a new perspective on hops)
Here’s WHY:
Much like the tulip or snifter, the IPA glass is designed to showcase the beers’ aromatic profiles while preserving its volatiles. (Need a refresher on different glasses and why they DO make a difference?) It also gives you a comfortable drink with its wide opening.
BUT, what this glass has to offer that others can’t, is head retention. The ridges at the bottom of the glass aerate the beer as you sip, creating a frothy head for as long as you have beer in your glass. And check out this little snippet of the CO2 release caused by the etching in the bottom of the glass…
And how can this glass not be good with who was behind the design of it? Spiegelau collaborated with two of the leading IPA brewers in the US: Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada. Together, they custom made prototype glasses, which eventually got narrowed down to a final 8. This glass was the unanimous chosen one by a secret vote.
Final thoughts? It’s definitely worth the buy! And you will no longer drink your IPA’s out of that tired pint glass.
Check out this video for more from Calagione and Grossman – and find out why Calagione calls this glass the “olfactory cannon” !
The feature of these beer glass is pretty fascinating specially it’s head retention which gives different beer drinking experience.