The History of the Beer Glass

Beer Glasses Collection - Photo: Wikipedia

It is well known that beer has been with mankind for a long time. As beer itself changed, expanded, and improved, so did the way in which we actually got the beer to our mouths. The earlier vessels man used for drinking included earthenware, pottery, carved out wood, and even sewn-together pieces of leather. As time went on, a man saw small improvements in the quality of their beer glasses. Early Europeans living during the time of the Bubonic plague saw the creation of beer steins, which had an enclosed top on the steins to keep flies from landing in the brew and getting the person sick. 

The development of glass may have been the most important aspect of the way beer glasses are made today. As beer glasses became more and more popular, consumers could actually see what they were drinking and demanded a lighter and more appealing look as well as taste. This led to the filtration of beers; people no longer wanted the coarse chunks that were often found in the earlier beers of the breweries. With this new, more aesthetically pleasing wave of beer glasses, it seemed like beer steins were on the way out.

The development of glassware continued and produced a variety of beer glasses for all kinds of different beers. The most popular in the United States is the 16-ounce pint glass. It was originally used to fit the top of a Martini shaker, but bartenders soon found that as the brew flowed out of the beer taps the pint glass was the perfect vessel because it allowed for some of the carbonation to be released and allowed the aroma of the beer to be more pronounced. It is also favored for its storage capabilities; pint glasses can be stacked on top of each other and stored easily upright on shelves, quickly making them a favorite with the bartenders who ended up having to wash out each glass.

A drive to get people to buy their brand of beer by earlier breweries led to some unique and groundbreaking moves on the marketing and promotional front. Early breweries were often prohibited to give away beer or other rewards to their customers but found that giving away beer glasses was a great way to reward customers and also to advertise for themselves. This led to the breweries producing beer glasses that were works of art unto themselves. The first were ornate and expensive; they would often have gold or silver embossed on the sides. Eventually, artists for the breweries began doing detailed etchings on the sides of the glasses or steins and even developed a method of firing enamel paint onto the beer glasses. These enameled glasses remain some of the rarest beer collectibles, even though they were made more recently than the others. Today, some of the beer collectibles and signs are worth thousands of dollars and sought out worldwide by eager collectors. Have you looked up at the top of Grandpa’s old drawer lately?

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SCOTCH WHISKY: On top of the world.

Oban west highland single malt scotch whisky 1992
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In terms of export, Scotch whisky amasses approximately 90% of all export sales combined in England and is a principle export commodity. This income is in great part foreign currency.  This trend has been followed since the turn of the 19-century as the value of overseas marketing was discovered.

Between 15-20% of all scotch whisky consumed in Scotland is first purchased in Britain.   Although the reason for this is unknown, they do not dwell on it since their Scotch seems to be more popular in other countries.  This is proven by the fact that scotch whisky is within the top five export earners and makes a considerable profit while making very large contributions to Britain’s foreign exchange.

Approximately 200 markets are in the exchange for Scotch whisky with the European Union being in the forefront vying for top spot with the United States, Japan and other Asian markets following suit. The European Union is accountable for at least 50% of all Scotch whisky sales with the other countries rounding up another 40% or so.

A nine-year sales projection is in reserve of scotch stock maturing or already matured.  In 1996 the stock of matured scotch was sitting at 2,741 million liters up a tenfold from 1945 at 247 million liters.  The stock was higher in 1939 at 374 million liters.  Obviously the Scotch whiskey market is predicted to grow based on the amount of maturing stock.  

It is a difficult trade dealing in stocks with a scotch manufacturer as they sit and wait on maturing product, they cannot accurately gather information on what the market years down the road will be for their product.  This is a commercial problem.  The most significant undertaking is the capital investment of maturing stock.

There is a very small portion of fine scotch that actually makes it out of Scotland and into other countries.  Matured whiskies as well as fresh fillings are an enticing profit grabber; however the time it takes for this product to turn over and give way to said profit makes this a risky endeavor. It is very hard to determine whether or not the products value will hold in the future.

In closing the value of these company’s finely distilled products is not likely to lose appeal any time soon, although one never knows what the future will bring.  For Scotch lovers, another drink is always in their futures.

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BEER Culture

Social context

Many social traditions and activities are very associated with drinking beer, such as playing cards, darts, or other games.  The consumption of beer in isolation and excess may be associated with people drinking away their troubles, while drinking in excess with company may be associated with binge drinking.

A Kranz (wreath) of Kölsch beer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Around the world

All over the world, beer is consumed.  There are several breweries in the Middle East countries as well, such as Iraq and Syria.  There is also breweries in African countries and other remote countries such as Mongolia as well.

Glassware serving

Getting an appropriate beer glass is considered desirable by some drinkers.  There are some drinkers of beer that may sometimes drink out of the bottle or can, while others may choose to pour their beer into a glass.  Drinking from a bottle picks up aromas by the nose, so if a drinker wishes to appreciate the aroma of a beer, the beer is first poured into a mug, glass, or stein.

Similar to  wine, there is specialized styles of glasses for some types of beer, with some breweries producing glassware intended for their own styles of beer.  

Temperature

The conditions for serving beer have a big influence on a drinker's experiences.  An important factor when drinking is the temperature - as colder temperatures will start to inhibit the chemical senses of the tongue and throat, which will narrow down the flavor profile of beer, allow certain lagers to release their crispness.

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Pouring

The process of pouring will have an influence on the presentation of beer.  The flow rate from the tap, titling of the glass, and position of the pour into the glass will all affect the outcome, such as the size and longevity of the head and the turbulence of the bar as it begins to release the carbonation.

The more heavily carbonated beers such as German pilseners will need settling time before they are served, although many of them are served with the addition of the remaining yeast at the bottom to add extra color and flavor.

Beer rating

The rating of beer is a craze that combines the enjoyment of drinking beer with the hobby of collecting it.  Those that drink beer sometimes tend to record their scores and comments on various internet websites.  

This is a worldwide activity, as people in the United States will swap bottles of beer with those living in New Zealand and Russia.  The scores may then be tallied together to create lists of the most popular beers in each country as well as those throughout the world.

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