A detailed look at the Sam Adams beer glass
By William Brand
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 at 8:52 pm in Craft Beer, Food and Beer, General, Glasses.
Have you seen or tried the Sam Adams beer glass? When Boston Beer Co. released this unusual glass last year a lot of people snickered. I ignored it.
But after talking with Grant Wood, a longtime brewer at Boston Beer’s test brewery in Boston, I’m intrigued. Grant hosted a three-course beer dinner last week at the Monk’s Kettle, the excellent new Belgian-style pub and cafe in the Mission in San Francisco. (This is a most excellent little pub with an eclectic, wide-ranging beer list. If you haven’t visited, do so soon. Read about the Monk’s Kettle here). Before we got to the beer, he talked about “the glass.”
Wood has been brewing at Boston Beer for 13 years, producing many of the special barrel-aged beers that are ultimately blended to make Utopias. He said they tried about 100 glasses of different shapes over a six month period before they settled on the proper shape for the Sam Adams glass.
He points out that the top of the glass is a tulip shape, much like a traditional Belgian beer glass, which concentrates the aroma for the drinker. The rim of the glass turns outward which creates turbulence as the beer passes over it.
In addition, the bottom of the glass is scored, which creates a nucleation point. The beer sloshing over the depressions etched by a laser releases bubbles of carbonation which rise to the top of the glass, delivering more aroma to the drinker. If you look at the glass from the bottom, you can see a ring of bubbles flowing upward from the scoring, he said.
I looked; it’s true.
Oh yes, the lower half of the glass is narrow, which makes it easy for the beer drinker to hold. Most of the beer is in the tulip-shaped bowl at the top, so your hands won’t warm the beer too much.
“It a glass designed specially for Sam Adams Boston Lager,” Wood said.
You can buy the glasses on the Sam Adams Web site, four glasses/r $30. But a Sam Adams Bay Area rep said the Beverages & More chain will begin selling the glasses soon, most likely for $4.99 each.
The beer dinner, prepared by Monk’s Kettle chef Kevin Kroeger was excellent. The desert was stunning: The menu said it was – Chocolate fondant cake served with a Samuel Adams stout chocolate creme anglaise. Paired with Samuel Adams Cream Stout. It was a moist chocolate cake with a liquid chocolate center. Wish I had another piece right now. Cheers.
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May 20th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
[...] Have you seen or tried the Sam Adams beer glass? When Boston Beer Co. released this unusual glass last year a lot of people snickered. I ignored it. But after talking with Grant Wood, a longtime brewer at Boston Beer’s test brewery in Boston, I’m intrigued…READ MORE… [...]
May 21st, 2008 at 6:23 am
I also went to one of the Sam Adams beer dinners last week, only in Denver. Bob Cannon, one of the brewers from Boston Beer, was our host. I managed to get a few of those Boston Beer glasses. I’ve tried them out at home and they work well on the beers I had at home. The circular bubble action from the etchings on the bottom look nice. While the glass itself seems a bit odd shaped, it does make a nice addition to my glass collection. Our dessert was much different, a vanilla cherry beer float made with Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. Tasty.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:49 am
Yeah, I have one glass and I find myself using it a lot. The bubble thing;s kind of weird. One thing I didn’t mention. Grant Wood said it holds a pint — 16 ounces. Haven’t measured it yet.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:54 am
I’ve been intrigued about this glass for a while. It prompted me to blog about my own glass collection but I have yet to encounter this glass in person. It annoys me to see many places advertise Sam Adams featuring this glass and none actually have the glass.
By the way, just saw a commercial last night touting a Budweiser glass. Didn’t see a breakdown of the features like Sam Adams provides, but I wonder if this is a trend here in the States.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:08 am
I bought some of the Sam Adams glasses. My fellow workers thought I was stupid. “A glass can’t make a difference”. I told them I knew putting a glass in the freezer to chill/frost the glass killed the flavor, so there could be something to the Sam Adams glass.
Long story short, after work we did a beer glass taste test. All present agreed:
1- A frosted glass kills the flavor. A glass of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was rendered to a Bud lite type of flavor. That is a lot of flavor destruction.
2- A room temp glass presented the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as we are used to it.
3- The Sam Adams glass brought up aromas and flavors not present in the conventional glass.
Every serious beer drinker should have a couple Sam Adams glasses. Trust me. I like beer.
brewmot
May 21st, 2008 at 11:06 am
The real question is how much of a difference does it make? Honestly, it just sounds like smart marketing.
May 21st, 2008 at 11:09 am
*Didn’t see the post above*
Question: How much of the taste really came from the glass and not placebo?
May 21st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I just bought a few tulip glasses at Cost Plus (labeled as Poco Grande, who knows) and I can say the proper glass does make a difference. I had a bottle of Fin Du Monde out of the new glass and the difference in aroma is significant.
$30 for 4 glasses may be a bit much, but if you’re paying $5 for one, is it really that big of an investment even if it is just a small improvement in the experience?
May 21st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Quote JivinIvin:
Question: How much of the taste really came from the glass and not placebo?
Fair question. I cannot disagree. But everything about drinking beer (other than true double blind taste tests) are subject to being skewed by anticipations, expectations and prejudice.
All you can do is try one of the SA glasses. To me the difference was so noticeable, any one should taste the difference.
And while not a pure test, all 4 taste testers wrote down their impressions independently and all 4 tasters had the same general description of perceived change.
If BevMo starts selling them, I can promise you have done dumber things with $4.99 than to buy quality glassware in the name of enjoying your beer.
brewnot
May 21st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I really like the glass. It presents the beer nicely, bit head of foam that clings to the lip at the top and once I noticed it the ring bubbles consantly rising through the beers is interesting and fairly unique.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
I might actually just splurg $5 for the glass, if anything, it definitely looks cool. It’s advertised solely for the Sam Adams Boston Lager, but I’m assuming that any beer will do (?).
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:44 pm
JivinIvan Says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
“I might actually just splurg $5 for the glass, if anything, it definitely looks cool. It’s advertised solely for the Sam Adams Boston Lager, but I’m assuming that any beer will do (?).”
If you can find it retail for $5, go for it. No doubt. Beyond that I will be conservative about telling others how to spend their money.(grin)
You can find SA special glasses on Ebay. (double check the shipping & handling charges)
Some beers I prefer in a the more conventional glass. The old standard is the heavy 16 oz straight sided slightly V-shaped bar give away type glass. Also common at BevMo.
I could tell you what differences I perceive, but there is no fun in that. Try this. Fill you regular glass with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, fill a Sam Adams glass with the same. (If you have a different old familiar or stand by beer, use that instead) Drink back and forth. What do you taste?
Throw a glass that matches your regular beer glass into the freezer and frost it. What that does to you beer?
brewnot
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:41 am
I;’ve gotten bored with regular straight-sided glasses. I use the Sam Adams glass for most any beer. I also have a couple of Chimay chalices that I like for Belgian and Belgian-style beers. Tend to use them a lot.
I don’t think the beer tastes different in the Sam Adams glass. It just gives you a nice presentation.
I’ve asked BevMo’s beer buyer when the glasses are going to be stocked. She hasn’t replied. When she does, I;ll post the info.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
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