The Best Beer Glasses, According to a Brewer

Best Overall

Libbey Craft Pub Beer Glasses

$32 at Amazon

Libbey has been in the glassware game since 1818, steadily producing well-crafted, durable drinkware. Its wide assortment of inexpensive products is a common sight in bars and restaurants today, and this glass is likely to be the one you're served a pint in at your local brewery taproom. The subtle taper at the top of the Craft Pub glass concentrates the hoppy aromas in the head of the beer, delivering them right to your nose with every sip. It's a versatile shape that suits lagers, ales, sours, stouts, and other basic styles. "Its shape concentrates the bouquet of the beer but still has a great pub feel," Moen says. (Serious beer nerds might know the design as a Willibecher — German for "Willi glass," after the first name of the salesman who created it in the 1950s.)

These glasses are strong, dishwasher-safe, and ready to handle anything despite their bargain price. They can hold 20 ounces, which is great as a water glass or for an extra-large pint with room for foam. That's not necessarily the best vessel for a high-alcohol brew: Imperial stouts, triple IPAs, and other powerful specialty styles aren't normally served a whole pint at a time, and an appropriately sized pour might make the glass look rather empty.

Dimensions: 3.1 x 6.1 inches | Capacity: 20 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Value

Libbey Pint Glass

$31 at Amazon View on Webstaurantstore.com View on Katom.com

It should come as no surprise that Libbey's standard pint glasses are also an excellent choice for your home bar or your neighborhood pub. They hold exactly one pint. The rims have been heat-tempered, which makes the glass strong enough to withstand the dishwasher, and potentially even a drop onto the floor. They're also safe to stack up for storage.

No matter how many of these glasses you buy at once (you can get as few as four), you'll be happy with the cost, though you need to buy a lot at a time for the best price. You can get two dozen for less than a dollar apiece, but 24 pint glasses are probably too many for home.

Dimensions: 3.5 x 5.9 inches | Capacity: 16 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best for IPA

Rastal Teku Stemmed Beer Glass

$69 at Amazon View on Webstaurantstore.com View on Tekuglass.com

Looking to enjoy an ultra-hoppy IPA or an unusual specialty beer that doesn't fit into an existing style? Pull out the stemware. "When I want to communicate an experience that has a degree of grandeur and refinement, then I'll look for a stemmed beer glass with a robust body and a slightly concentrated opening," says Moen.

The Rastal Teku is reminiscent of a wine glass, with the stem keeping your hands from warming the contents. But the shape is specifically beer-friendly, with the bowl narrowing near the top to capture and concentrate the aromatic foam, but a slight flare at the rim to spread the aromas across your nose and mouth. With hoppy beers and sours, hazy beers, fruit- or spice-infused beers, and other unusual brews, the shape lets you catch every nuance.

This glass is a little pricier than others on this list, but it's not horrendous, especially if you pick up more than one at once. Our biggest issue is storage: The stem makes the Teku taller than a regular pint glass despite its less-than-a-pint capacity. It's also not stackable glassware, so you'll need plenty of cabinet room.

Dimensions: 3 x 8.2 inches | Capacity: 14.2 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best for Dark Beer

Luigi Bormioli Birrateque Craft Beer Glasses Stout

Orig. $38 $32 at Amazon

Italy's Luigi Bormioli makes all sorts of luxury glassware we love, including some of our favorite everyday drinking glasses and a gorgeous set of Nick and Nora glasses. The brand's Birrateque line has specialized shapes for eight different beer styles, and this unique one is ideal for lovers of porters and stouts.

The Birrateque stout glass' design is all about carbonation control, with a subtle etched ring in the bottom that keeps a steady stream of bubbles flowing up to replenish the head of the beer. That helps maintain the smooth texture and creamy mouthfeel of the head as you drink the beer. It allows for a nice balance of malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness on the palate, especially for dark beers bottled and canned on nitro, like Guinness and Left Hand Milk Stout. The downside of this unique shape is the narrow base, which can make the whole thing top-heavy and unstable, especially if the glass is full.

Dimensions: 3.75 x 7 inches | Capacity: 20.25 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best for Pilsner

Crystalia Tall-Footed Pilsner Glass

$33 at Amazon

Originating in the Czech town of Pilsen, pilsner is a flavorful lager that's crisp and refreshing, renowned for its light color and perfect clarity. The tall, narrow pilsner glass is designed to show off the beer's appearance, with a thick foot that keeps it stable on the bar or table. The Crystalia pilsner glass is a classic design, and it's durable, dishwasher-safe, and reasonably priced. (It can easily pull double-duty as highball glasses, too, if cocktails are on the menu.)

The downside with any pilsner glass is its height. These are quite tall and still hold short of a pint. They're dishwasher-safe (if they'll fit), but if you hand-wash it's tough to get a sponge into the bottom. Plus, you'll need an extra-tall cabinet or shelf to store them.

Dimensions: 3 x 9.25 inches | Capacity: 13.5 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best for Wheat Beer

Spiegelau Hefeweizen Glasses

Orig. $56 $41 at Amazon View on Spiegelauglasses.com

If you order a hefeweizen in Germany, you will most assuredly be served a proper glass of wheat beer just like this one from Spiegelau. Germans take their glassware very seriously, and the purpose-built hefeweizen glass is made to capture aromas at the top, keep the beer at a steady temperature, and allow for sediment to settle at the bottom.

These characteristics are all ideal for serving a cloudy, yeasty wheat beer, but the hefeweizen glass is kind of a one-trick pony. Its extra-large capacity and unusual shape don't lend themselves well to stouts, brown ales, and other darker brews. If hefeweizen isn't among your preferred styles of beer, you may not need these.

Dimensions: 3.2 x 9.38 inches | Capacity: 27.5 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Stein-Style

HB beer glass

$22 at Amazon

OK, beer pedants: This is not, technically, a stein. Stein is German for "stone," and a true Bierstein is made from ceramic, not glass. Nonetheless, a large handled mug is the typical vessel for German beer festivals, and this is a truly authentic version. It comes from Hofbräuhaus, a Munich brewery and tavern that's been open since the 16th century and is at the center of the city's world-famous Oktoberfest celebrations. To throw your own Oktoberfest party, all you need is a few of these steins, some märzen beer, homemade pretzels, and, of course, lots and lots of German sausages.

This is a fun glass for toasting while dancing to accordion music, but it might not be the most practical as an everyday beer vessel. It's heavy and holds an entire liter at once — that's almost three standard bottles or cans. It also can't go in the dishwasher, though the wide opening and thick glass make it very easy to hand-wash.

Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches | Capacity: 33.8 ounces | Dishwasher-Safe: No