Beer glassware

Beer glassware comprises the drinking vessels made of glass designed or commonly used for drinking beer. Different styles of glassware exist for a number of reasons: they may reflect national traditions; legislation regarding serving measures; practicalities of stacking, washing and avoiding breakage; promotion of commercial breweries; folk art, novelty items or use in drinking games; or complementing different styles of beer for a variety of reasons, including enhancing aromatic volatiles, showcasing the appearance, and having an effect on the beer head. Several kinds of beer glassware have a stem which serves to prevent the body heat of the drinker's hand from warming the beer.

Beer glasses are made from a variety of materials not limited to glass, including stoneware, earthenware, pewter, and wood.

A pilsner glass is used for many types of light beers, including pale lager or pilsner. Pilsner glasses are generally smaller than a pint glass, usually in 200 ml, 250 ml, 300 ml, 330 ml or 400 ml sizes. (In Europe 500ml ones are common.) They are tall, slender and tapered. The slender glass reveals the colour, and carbonation of the beer, and the broad top helps maintain a beer head.

Weizen glasses are sometimes mistakenly called Pilsner glasses because they are somewhat similar in appearance, but true Pilsner glasses have an even taper without any amount of curvature.

The definition of a pint differs by country, thus a pint glass will reflect the regular measure of beer in that country. In the UK, law stipulates that a servings of beer be fixed at the imperial pint (568 ml ≈1.2 US pints). Half-pint glasses of 10 imp fl oz (284 ml) are generally smaller versions of pint glasses. Quarter-pint glasses of 5 imp fl oz (142 ml) also exist, and are popular in Australia (now 140 ml from metrication), where they are known as a "pony". These may simply be smaller pint glasses, or may be a special pony glass. In the US, a pint is 16 US fl oz (473 ml), but the volume is not strictly regulated and glasses may vary somewhat. Glasses of 500ml are usually called pints in American parlance. Pony glasses, once popular, are only found in older, ungentrified bars these days in America.

...
Wikipedia