Your Essential Guide to Beer Cup

Drinkware manufacturers keep pushing out new designs, but some classics are so inherent to beer styles and cultures that they are here to stay. This is particularly true for those associated with lager beer. Here’s an overview.

1. Steinkrug

First things first: North Americans often use the term "stein" to refer to a large beer mug, often made of glass. However, in German, stein means stone—so if a mug is made of glass, it’s not a stein. Germans use the term steinkrug (never just "stein") to refer to a stoneware mug—often abbreviated to krug.

Founder and head brewer Chris Lohring says the krug has "insulative properties and will keep your beer colder in the warm months, as well as protect the beer from UV light that will bring on a skunk aroma. So, it really is the perfect beer-garden vessel.”

The most ubiquitous type found today is called the Keferloher. The Keferloher is typically a half-liter or full liter. The name comes from a Bavarian town called Keferloh, known for a rowdy market where the mug was popular.

2. Mass

The mass is one of the most iconic beer-drinking vehicles and is most closely associated with Oktoberfest and Bavarian beer gardens. It became a staple of the annual celebration in 1892.

The term mass refers to its volume — in Bavaria, this was originally 1.069 liters, later revised to a practical one liter. Modern versions can hold more than a liter, but the extra space is meant for a proper amount of foam.

The design includes a dimple, or kugel. Accordingly, you may see this mug called a masskugel or Münchner kugel.

Ideal for: helles, märzen, festbier.

3. Tübinger

It's a stocky style of mug found in several sizes up to a half-liter. The contemporary glass known as the Tübinger is specifically a Tübinger kugel—meaning that it's dimpled.

Wayfinder Beer in Portland, Oregon, is one brewery that uses the Tübinger for some of its lagers. Cofounder Charlie Devereux describes it as “very wide, which is great for beers where you’re not focused on maintaining a spritzy carbonation.'He says the Tübinger "is like a 'bowl of beer.' It feels like you can stick your whole face in it. For subtle lagers, which often have relatively muted aromas, to be able to immerse your nose physically in that big chamber of headspace and 'breathe' the beer ... it's fabulous.”

While its origins are German, today this style of mug is most closely associated with Czech lager.

4. Pilsner

The pilsner glass is arguably the most elegant of all lager drinkware. Bierstadt Lagerhaus (Denver) head brewer and co-owner Ashleigh Carter says the pilsner is “a delicate glass for a delicate beer.”

Pilsner glasses come in slightly varying forms. Most are in the shape known as a pokal, with a small stem above a base. From there, its profile may be conical, cylindrical, or it may be a pilstulpe with a curvier shape. Some are stemless, and some others are both stemless and unfooted. The common denominator: They’re slender and typically hold less than a half-liter. Whatever the benefits to the bar, the smaller size might help you to finish your drink before it gets too warm.

5. Willibecher

The willibecher may be the most basic lager glass. It may also be the best all-around option.

While not unprecedented in form, the simple but well-designed cup was first sold in the 1950s by Ruhr Glas in Essen, Germany. It’s named in honor of its creator, Willy Steinmeier (and becher means cup in German).

This is the go-to glass for Suarez Family Brewery (Hudson, New York), known for focusing on “ales of mixed fermentation, unfiltered lagers, and other crispy little beers.” They serve the latter two in willibechers in their taproom. In Portland, Wayfinder also uses it for an array of styles. You may even find Lohring at Notch occasionally forgoing the Tübinger for a willibecher when enjoying one of his Czech lagers.

The double-conical shape subtly provides head retention and a good aromatic experience. Its simplicity and availability in varying sizes also make it versatile. As such, it’s an excellent glass to have on hand at any bar or taproom.

Ideal for: pretty much anything.