The Right “Stemware” for Beer Tasting…?

No one likes to be teased, but as long as it’s done with love — well, that’s okay, I guess.  I have to admit — I have taken my share of jabs for the swirling and sniffing of wine.  Friends and family have mimicked the process with their beer and pretended to be me.

Yet wine drinkers are not alone in their quest for aromas and taste.  Beer itself has taken a big step forward in that same arena.  At a meeting in Denver, we had a local distributor come in and do a beer tasting.  He set up tables and glasses in the same manner as a wine tasting, using good glasses and arranging his samples for all from light to dark.  He asked all to swirl gently and sniff to discern the notes of wheat, and so on.  I am not a beer drinker (except when good wine is not available) and am not practiced in the nuances of beer, yet this event was no different from a wine tasting experience.

Just a few weeks ago, I ran across an article in the Sacramento Bee about the appropriate glassware for different beers. Did you ever see that before?  I got quite a kick out of the article, since the resemblance is quite evident.  I have copied the pictures for you here with a link to the article.

So what gives?  Is beer trying to be wine or has it always been that way.  Has it always been a sophisticated beverage?  I suspect there have always been great aficionados of beer with a repertoire of excellent aromas and tastes, yet it has gone unnoticed by the everyday drinker.

My take away of the tasting and the article is that I’ll take no more ribbing for my good glasses, my swirling and sniffing!

Enjoy!