The Best Glass Size For Serving 12 Ounces Of Beer

Drinking a beer straight from the bottle has its perks. However, you may be depriving yourself of the full boozy experience if you never pour your lager into a glass. Indeed, all the best beer connoisseurs know that you should always pour your beer into a glass to better taste the complexity of the carbonated bubbles and make the most of the malty fragrance of the creamy foam. But which glass size is the best? And does it really make a difference? We spoke to Master Beer Judge Geoff Bragg, who told us that the best glass size for a standard 12-ounce beer is one that leaves enough space for the foamy head.

"The size and shape of a beer glass is really about presentation," Bragg explains. "A freshly poured glass of beer should have a decent, lasting head of foam. If you are looking to pour all 12 ounces at once you'll need a bigger glass to enjoy that head formation."

When you pour beer into a glass, bubbles of carbon dioxide rise to the top. Then the malt proteins inside combine with these CO2 bubbles and form a coating on them, which preserves them and creates a stable flavorful foam that sits atop your drink. This foam (or collar) is an integral element of a beer that distinguishes it from other alcoholic drinks. It provides flavor, fragrance, and an inviting appearance, so you really should leave extra space for it in your glass.

Using a large glass provides an abundance of room for the flavorful head of your beer to take up its rightful space. You'll simply shortchange yourself if you use a smaller glass that can't accommodate the entirety of the bubbly collar. For example, these 14-ounce craft beer glasses have ample room for a 12oz can, plus a bowl-like shape to boost aroma, and a stem, which will prevent your hands from warming up your frosty beverage as you drink. However, even a 16oz straight-up pint glass that's stackable and dishwasher friendly will do the job too as long as you pour correctly. 

Always tilt your glass at a 45 degree angle before pouring in your beer of choice to the halfway mark. Then shift it to a 90 degree angle and continue pouring right into the center to create a rich and foamy head. If done properly, you should be left with a beverage that has two distinct layers and textures which stay intact almost until your last sip. When these layers combine they lend a beer its characteristic carbonation and a fragrant hoppy quality. The wide mouth of your glass also allows more of that fermented aroma from a rich porter or stout to fill your nostrils as you sip. Drink it straight from the bottle and you'll be straightjacketing all that fragrance and foam inside.