Beer Glasses & Beer Mugs

1. A pint's a pint, mate. Sort of. An Imperial pint glass (also called a nonic, and in Germany, a becker) holds a little more than an American pint (also known as a tumbler, named after people who've had too many). The Imperial pint usually has a little bulb near the top. The Brits wouldn't drink their stouts and ales any other way. In the rest of the world, don't be surprised if you're asked which kind of pint glass you want.

2. Pilsner glasses are as precise as the Germans who invented them.  The longer, narrower shape gives a better view of the honey-gold color so unique to the beer. Use it to show off your lagers and malt liquors too. It's a feast for the eyes as well as the gullet.

3. How to flirt with your beer: Note its appearance. Color and clarity give clues to taste. Next, sniff. Taste is 90% in your nose. As beer meets lips, let it slide across all parts of your tongue. Experience the body: is it thin, slippery or chewy? Finally, the finish: before you go for another gulp, notice the flavors that linger after you swallow.

4. Those different beer glasses aren't just for show. Proper beer glassware helps colors shimmer and enhances aroma and taste. Eye-appeal ramps up your anticipation. Nuances become more pronounced and the whole experiences is more complete.

5. Beer flutes are best for more intense beers. The lean bowl shape holds carbonation in while boosting the aromas with every sweet sip. Flutes are especially good for ales, bocks and lambics.

6. Beer steins were made from stone, metal and even wood. Dating back to the Black Plague, the lid kept the flies out. A seidel is a German stein or mug made of heavy glass. Both are big and sturdy, so you can toast a hearty <em>"Prost!"</em> with confidence.

7. A wine glass for beer? Yep, for Belgian ales and stouts in particular. An oversize 22-ounce wine glass creates lots of headspace for delicate beers, providing an amazing, heady aroma.

8. Holland knows beer and tulips. They go great together. A tulip-shaped beer glass has a short stem, round body and narrow lip to hold the intricate scent for each sip. Lambics and Scotch ales blossom in a tulip glass.

9. A frosty mug? Just say no. They look appetizing, but ice crystals dilute your beer and release the carbonation too fast. Quality beers taste better in an unchilled beer glass served around 50 degrees or above.

10. Aroma is everything, and quality beer glasses amplify it. They enhance the smell of soap and bleach too, so hand-wash your good beer glasses in mild detergent only, and let them air-dry.