Belgian Beer Glasses - Bigger Is Not Always Better
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Defined Tag: Belgian Beer Glasses.

Size does matter when discussing Belgian beer glasses. The largest brewing company in Europe makes and distributes beer glasses to Belgian pubs for free. That sounds like a good deal so far. Why are bar owners upset? The brewing giant redesigned its logo, and the resulting beer glass is 10% larger than the previous model. However the bars can't charge 10% more for a glass of Belgian beer or they would lose customers.

The larger beer mugs have a fill line marking the size of the previous glass. Filling the glass of beer to that level looks as if the bartender is shorting the customer. The beer glass distributor says that the extra space is for foam or head, but most beer drinkers don't want that either. The beer glasses in Belgium are free, so why is there all this fuss? The beer in Belgium must be something very special.

The history of beer brewing in Belgium is long and colorful. Medieval monks began brewing beer, and the practice continued after many European countries had stopped. There are about 125 breweries in the country, working hard to fill each Belgian beer glass. Those breweries produce about 500 brands of beer. That number doubles when specialty brews are counted. Dark glass bottles and metal caps or corks (sometimes both) ensure that Belgian beer is of the highest quality when it enters the beer glass.

Beer cafes have sprung up as a cottage industry in Belgium. You don't have to walk far at all for a glass or a pint. Each area has its favorites. In Brussels, look for Moeder Lambic, Delirium Cafe, Beer Circus and L'atelier. Antwerp, Bruges, and Hasselt residents fill their beer mugs with the current winner of this ongoing beer popularity contest.

The quantity of beers is almost matched by the quantity of beer glasses. Many brands of beer have their own glasses. Each Belgian beer glass bears a name and logo. Wavy tulip-shaped glasses, pilsner glasses, and the wider goblet shapes are popular. Belgian beer bottles vary in size too. They start at 250 ml (which matches the standard Belgian beer glass) and increase to 750 ml and beyond.

The contents of those varied bottles might include white beers (a variant of wheat beers), a pilsner (lager style), Abbey or Monk's beer, dubbel ales, and blond or brown tripel beers. The tart Lambic beers are unique to Belgium. Flemish Red is a brownish-red drinking beer with a strong flavor that looks striking in a stylish beer glass. Trappist beers grace the beer mugs of Belgium only because they are brewed from start to finish by Trappist monks.

Belgians are proud of the variety and character of their beers. It is no wonder that they have become so easily upset at a small size increase in Belgian beer glasses.