The Spiegelau IPA Glass!
The Only Glass For a True Lover of Indian Pale Ales
Origin
Introduced in 2013, the Spiegelau IPA glass was the brainchild of Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada.
These two breweries teamed up in an effort to create the perfect glass to enhance the complex flavors and aromas of an IPA.
Purpose
The Spiegelau IPA glass’s purpose is to keep the beer cold, push forward the hoppy flavors and aromas, and dampen the perception of alcohol while preserving the head, texture, and mouthfeel of the beer.
How It Works
The Thickness
The glass is blown very thin; this both increases overall capacity and decreases temperature variation.
Because the walls are thin, the glass won’t absorb as much cold from the beer, allowing the beverage to stay colder for longer.
The Rim
The rim is laser cut to give a clean flow and smooth, light feeling on the lips. The rim is also quite wide, allowing you to easily nose the glass. Getting a full sense of all of the complex aromas and a well-rounded balance of sweetness and acidity.
The Bowl
The main bowl is slender with a slightly bowed shape that pushes forward the IPA’s hoppy nature while dampening the perceived presence of alcohol.
“Refresher” Base
The refresher base has wave-like ridges that make the glass easy to hold. But more importantly, they aerate the beer as it rolls over these ridges both when the beer is poured into the glass, and every time you take a sip.
Etched Bottom
The etching in the bottom of the glass gives the perfect spot for bubbles to form and ensures that they travel through the entire beer before reaching the head. Gathering all of the IPA’s complexity as the bubbles travel to the top, allowing them to release more complex and nuanced aromas.
Beer glasses with this etching are also referred to as nucleated.