As any beer connoisseur knows, not all beer glasses are created equal! Just as Champagne is not served in a red wine glass, different kinds of beer call for differently shaped glasses. However, for the non-beerologists, pairing the right glass with the right beer might feel a little intimidating.

“Pouring beer into glassware changes the experience from a dark bottle hiding the liquid inside to the glassware instead making it beautiful,” says Victoria Porter at Savage Craft Ale Works says. “When you walk into a brewery and see somebody holding a Belgian glass, you know that they like a high-gravity beer. If you see somebody holding a glass with a light-colored beer in it, you might think, ‘That’s really pretty.’ You can see the color and the beauty of the beer.”

The most common beer glass is the American pint. The simple 16-ounce American pint glass is slightly wider at the mouth than at the base and is used to serve a wide range of beer styles. The curved imperial pint can also serve as an all-purpose beer glass; however, it holds a full 20 ounces and features a small lip at the mouth. It is the go-to glass for British ales and lagers like pale ale. A Belgian glass, also known as a tulip glass, is a bulbous 13-ounce glass with a flared lip that is designed to capture the head and promote the aroma and flavor of Belgian ales and other malty, hoppy beers.

So when visiting a brewery this summer, just relax, order whatever strikes your fancy, and enjoy the summertime vibes as Columbia cools off together over a pint … or a curved pint, or a Belgian glass. Learn more about the many craft brewery options this city has to offer on page 62. Cheers!