The tulip glass and why it suits strong aromatic beers

Shape decides what you smell

Most of what you taste in a beer reaches you through your nose. A glass that lets aroma escape into the room gives you less to smell before each sip. A glass that gathers aroma and points it at your nose gives you more. That is the whole case for the tulip.

It matters most with beers that have a lot of aroma to give: Belgian strong ales full of fruity and spicy yeast notes, IPAs heavy with hop oils, barleywines and imperial stouts with layers of malt, dried fruit and roast. With a light lager, the gain is smaller.

How each part of the glass works

• The round bowl gives space to swirl. Swirling releases aroma from the beer into the air inside the glass.
• The narrowing waist traps that aroma above the beer instead of letting it spill out of a wide opening.
• The flared lip supports a full, rounded head and guides the beer onto the front of the tongue as you sip.
• The stem keeps your hand off the bowl so the beer warms gently rather than quickly.

Most tulips hold about 400 to 500 ml, but they are meant for smaller pours. Fill them about halfway, with 200 to 330 ml of beer and room above for the head.

Beers that suit a tulip

Belgian styles are the classic match. A tripel at around 8 to 9% ABV or a dark strong ale at 9 to 11% has fruit, spice and alcohol warmth that benefit from a gathering bowl and a gentle warm-up. Saisons, with their peppery yeast character, also show well.

Big IPAs and double IPAs gain from the shape too. The bowl concentrates their hop aroma. Barleywines, imperial stouts and Scotch ales all suit it. The thistle glass, a tulip shaped variant with a longer bowl, is often used for Scotch ale. Our guide on how to taste strong beers covers pacing and temperature.

Why strong beers want small pours

Strong beers are served in smaller measures for good reasons. A 10% beer contains twice as much alcohol per glass as a 5% beer of the same size. A small pour also lets the beer warm slowly in the glass. Strong ales often taste best around 10 to 14 °C, warmer than a lager. They open up as they warm.

A tulip half full is about the right amount to drink slowly. It also leaves space for the head and the aroma, which a brim full glass does not. In Indian heat, a smaller pour is finished before it gets too warm.

Looking after tulip glasses

Stemmed glasses need a little extra care. The curved bowl and narrow waist make it harder to reach the inside with a sponge, so film can collect just under the lip. Wash tulips by hand with a soft brush and a drop of unscented detergent, rinse well and leave them upside down on a rack to dry. A greasy tulip kills the head as fast as any other glass. With strong beers the head matters.

Hold the glass by the stem when washing as well as drinking. Twisting the bowl against the stem is the usual way these glasses break. Store them upright in a cupboard away from the kitchen so they do not pick up cooking smells.

Tulip, snifter or teku

The tulip has some close relatives. A snifter, like a brandy glass, has a wider bowl and a narrower opening with no flared lip. It traps aroma even more tightly but supports less foam, so it is often used for the strongest, least carbonated beers such as aged barleywine. The teku, a modern stemmed glass with an angular bowl, does a similar job to the tulip and is popular in craft beer bars.

There is no single correct glass. A tulip is a good all round choice if you only want one glass for strong and aromatic beers.

How to pour and taste from one

Rinse the tulip with cold water and pour down the side, straightening the glass as it fills to build a head of about two fingers. Stop at about the widest part of the bowl. Give the glass a gentle swirl, then smell with your nose just inside the rim. Take a sip, then swirl and smell again as the beer warms over the next ten to twenty minutes.

Hold it by the stem. The difference in aroma between the first and the last sip of a strong beer in a tulip is one of the best lessons in tasting there is.

Try the same beer in two glasses

Pour a strong Belgian ale or a double IPA into a tulip and the same beer into a straight sided glass. Smell both, then taste. Most people are surprised by how much more the tulip gives. Compare with the British pint glasses in our guide to the nonic and tulip pint, which work very differently.

Common questions

What beers should be served in a tulip glass?

Strong and aromatic beers: Belgian strong ales, tripels, saisons, double IPAs, barleywines, imperial stouts and Scotch ales.

Why does a tulip glass have a flared lip?

The flared lip supports a full head and guides the beer onto the tongue. The narrower waist below it traps aroma.

How full should a tulip glass be?

About halfway, usually 200 to 330 ml of beer, so there is room for the head and the aroma.

Is a tulip glass the same as a snifter?

No. A snifter has a wider bowl and no flared lip, so it traps aroma more but supports less foam.