This is part four of a six-part series (click here for part one, part two, part three, part four, part five & part six) on improving your beer drinking experience. While the series is written for Better Beer newcomers, it is advice that is beneficial to even the most seasoned beer drinkers out there. Cheers.

Part two of this series described all of the smells and tastes that can come from a properly poured and drunk beer, but lots of those sensory stimulants are enhanced when the beer is drunk from the right kind of glass.In order to fully experience all of the characteristics expertly crafted into a beer, you need to drink it from the right kind of glassware:

  • For aromatic, hoppy, or strong beers, try glassware that resembles a brandy snifter. This type of class will trap the complex and exciting fruity aromas released by the carbonation.
  • Elegant and complex beers are enhanced by slender and thin-walled glassware.
  • Hearty, dark beers like stouts, browns and porters work best in hearty straight-up pint glasses or handled mugs.
  • And lastly, for barrel-aged and/or very strong brews, try short-stemmed wine-type glassware.

Be sure and check back tomorrow for Part 5 of “How to Drink Better Beer”. Be sure and subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss another moment of BAB!