Sunday, August 26, 2007

A Great Glass for A Great Beer?


Have I mentioned how much I like one of my newest pieces of glassware? It's the one that Boston Beer Company spent a lot of effort on to make it the "perfect" beer drinking vessel and sent to me earlier in the summer. Whether or not you choose to believe it, I for one can say that it fits the hand and the mouth quite nicely. And, overall, it showcases the head, the aroma, and the beer just right. Would I pay $30 for a 4-pack of these glasses? Hm, maybe.

p.s. gracing the glass this weekend was the latest "Brewmaster Reserve" batch from Stoudt's...Joey's Saison; the Tröegs Scratch Beer #2 (porter); the Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale; and just for fun Ommegang's Three Philosopher's.

Here are some of the purported features of the glass, according to Jim Koch and company:

-beaded rim (to release flavor)
-outward lip (to direct beverage)
-narrow top (to contain head and aroma)
-rounded middle (to collect aroma)
-thin walls (to maintain temperature)
-laser-etched bottom (to instigate bubbles)
-features a slogan "Take Pride In Your Beer" (makes you feel good!)

3 comments:

Adam said...

I do like the etching to instigate the bubbles. My Chimay glass has something similar.

I like the look of the bubbles and I guess its good for the nose too. Interesting.

Stan Hieronymus said...

A small point, but Jim Koch points out that the goal of their research - and they spent several hundred thousand dollars on the project - was to make a better glass for Boston Lager.

To my senses it certainly succeeds there.

I also use mine for several different beers, and it is excellent for them. But it isn't perfect for every beer.

Lew Bryson said...

I dropped in unannounced on a certain acerbic brewer in Portland this summer, and as we walked into his office to shoot some innocent breeze, he picked The Glass up off his desk, turned to me with agonized wonder in his eyes, and gasped out, "This...this has been...an epiphany!!!"

I suspect that some folks on the production side see The Glass as just the latest bit of Koch-inspired marketing. It is marketing, but "just" may not do it full justice. So to speak.