In an ideal world, your local pub is loaded with a range of interesting beers and ciders, and if you’re lucky enough they’ll serve those drinks in a wide variety of whacky glassware handily provided by the brewery to help their product stand out.
If you’re unlucky however in the vast selection of drinks on tap, there are several category crossovers and functionally identical choises. If your local stocks Cruzcampo and Madri at the same time, Heineken and Moretti and Carling and Fosters or worse all six choosing whichever one you are in the mood for may come down to something more than what the beer tastes like and just how much of it you are planning to drink. Faced with the choice of two similar products, your choice could come down to the little details, taste maybe, price perhaps, or whichever has the best glass.
Almost everyone has a preference when it comes to the vessel in which their favorite drink is presented to them, whether they know it or not. Its not quite the same drinking experience when abominations such as Stella Artois being served in a Fosters glass happen to you. We’ve taken into account such factors as usability, artwork, ergonomics and appeal. Here at Hops and Barley we’ve put together the top 10 mainstream* pint glasses available in pubs today.
There are few things more Iconic than a Guinness glass, and while it lacks a lot of the style and panache of some of the other entries on this list the current Guinness glass is a masterclass in understated genius. From the shape of the classic harp moulded that moulds your hand ergonmically into the glass to the iconic form which is beautifully weighted, aided by where hand naturally gravitates when dealing with the glasses ergonomics. Guinness are a company who put emphasis on the little details, from the brewing, the marketing and to the glassware.
If you’re from the South West and in particular Cornwall then this should be immediatley recongisable to you. A simple design from a glassware perspective but from an art work perspective the guys at St Austell Brewery nailed it. The surfboard style triangles all angled towards the centre is a special look and is moden whilst maintinaing some cornish blood.
As a brand that’s under gone a bit of a rebrand, Kronenbourg’s glassware is bang on point. A comfortable base with a good taper to the top, tapering in again to form a slight bulb at the top. While it may lose some style points for a basic design from a form perpsective it comes to hand much easier than some of the other tall glasses like Amstel and Peroni.
Almost certainly the brand on this list which will stretch the definiton of mainstream Blue Moon have mastered minimalism and perfect form. Another glass that loses points for style, but its more agressive taper and wider top and hefty base edges it slightly above Kronenbourg for drinking experience.
San Miguel’s chalice is unique in the chalice category, its shorter stem and wider base are iconic amongst pint glass designs. While the shorter stem can sometimes make for an awkward grip the glass is legendary in beer gardens around the UK.
When Carlsberg was completey reconstructed into its current iteration at 3.4%abv the brewery saw fit to introduce new glassware and a new Fount. The resultant glass is a bit of a beauty, well weighted with a sturdy base and good shape, each glass has a little easter egg with their iconic slogan “Proabably the best lager in the world” etched around the base. Great glass, decent beer.
Another simple glass with Iconic artwork, the beavertown style created by artist Nick Dwyer is synonymous with the burgeoing beer brand. Since their emergence in 2011 Beavertown have grown rapidly in no small part thanks to their distinctive branding. I remember seeing the Skull and Bones design for the first time in the pub and asking out lout, “what the hell is that?”. This was promptly followed by me walking to the bar and ordering myself a pint of Neck Oil.
There’s a lot to be said for a good old fashioned tankard, and Staropramen’s commitment to the Tankard should be applauded. The lighter weight and narrower head makes this tankard much more easy to manage than a traditional pint pot. A modern twist on a classic.
When it comes to the chalice glass, Stella Artois is the OG. Beautifully crafted and well balanced the Stella Artois chalice glass is the pinnacle of glass design and has in no small part contributed in Stella’s hard work to move the brand away from its “Wife Beater” reputation. From the iconic star embossed on the stem to the narrow form factor of the base the Stella Chalice is an Icon of the UK pub trade.
“A New Player has Entered the Game.” When Cruzcampo was released upon an unsuspecting UK market in 2022 it came with a game changer. A glass in in the hybird shape of the on-trend chalice glass and the the goblet more associated with the Trappist beers, the Cruzcampo pint glass is the darling of the UK pub trade. Its artwork is ornate and simple at the same time, and the whole thing sits nicely in the hand. A true masterpiece.
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