Belgian Beer Glass Styles

Drink up with traditional form and function

Steins, pints, pilsners, tulips, goblets, and snifters: who knew there were so many styles of beer glasses? In Belgium, nearly every beer has its own glass, ideally suited for the flavor, scent, and sparkle of each unique drink. Find out a bit more about the wide variety of Belgian beer and beer glasses in this article.

500 bottles of beer on the wall

Over 500 varieties of beer are brewed in Belgium, a small northwestern European country famed worldwide for its specialty drafts. Beer glasses here are as unique and variable as the beer itself, since many of the 125 breweries in the country take care to craft vessels that highlight every nuance of their special brews. Common beers include pilsner, Trapper, and amber, but Belgian's most famous contribution to the beverage world is likely the Lambic, a dry, cidery, spontaneously fermented brew with a slightly sour aftertaste. Lambics are best served in delicate flute glasses to showcase their effervescence and unique aroma.

Shapes and sizes

While it would be impossible to list every style of Belgian beer glasses, the vessels range from simple tumblers to fluted snifters to slender, tapered 12-ounce pilsner glasses (ideal for serving light "table" beers), with many variations in between. Most glasses have stems to prevent your hands from warming up your drink while you savor it, and many feature colorful logos, artwork, and glass engraving.

To taste Belgian beers at their finest, serve at the respective "ideal" temperatures -- which usually range from 46 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit -- and enjoy them in the brands' specialty beer glasses for a deft finishing touch.