Spiegelau beer glasses are steadily making their way into Japan’s craft beer scene, positively changing how people appreciate beer. The iconic IPA glasses, in particular, are creating some buzz. Guests to last year’s Hop Revolution festival received one and they’ve been featured in several magazines.
The IPA glasses resemble Spiegelau’s newest design in the beer glasses series: the stout glass. Like the IPA glasses, which were developed between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head, these uniquely shaped vessels for stouts were developed between Rogue and Left Hand Brewing. This time, too, the two breweries used a “workshop method.” Essentially, they tried many different designs, slightly tweaking them until they found a shape that best accentuated the aromas and flavors of a good stout.
The Spiegelau stout glasses have a smooth base (unlike the ribbed base of the IPA glasses that better projects hop aroma). When you pour into the glass, the CO2 streams up the side similar to the iconic way a Guinness stout pours. The tulip-shaped body is also slightly shorter and wider than the IPA glass, allowing the drinker to fully enjoy the roasty, chocolaty and coffee aromas.
At the Craft Brewers’ Conference in Denver, we sat in on the stout glass demonstration, led by Spiegelau’s Matt Rutkowski, who visited Japan last year to give presentations on the IPA glasses. The results were dramatic. As the Rogue representative shared (to laughter), he even takes his glass with him to bars now. But nobody was laughing at the end. When Matt asked guests to raise their hand if they were convinced of the improvement in aroma and taste, everyone did—and this was a room primarily full of brewers.
The stout glasses will be arriving in Japan shortly. The Japan Beer Times is in the planning stages of an event with the importers of Rogue and Left Hand, as well as two Japanese craft breweries. We think beer should be consumed in the best condition possible. These glasses help enable that. For details, stay tuned to our website.
This article was published in Japan Beer Times # () and is among the limited content available online. Order your copy through our online shop or download the digital version from the iTunes store to access the full contents of this issue.
