Every Drink Tastes Different When Consumed From a Different Glass

Not many people fully understand why you can buy so many different shaped glasses in the shops these days. To the uninitiated the variety may seem a little unnecessary, surely they can’t change the flavor of the liquid they hold can they? Well actually they can, and here is a breakdown of some of the most common glass types and how they affect the drink.

Whisky Glasses. The reason that whisky is most often drunk from a wide tumbler is an interesting one. Whisky is often served in small amounts as it is frequently enjoyed straight, rather than being added to a mixer. The result of this means that if whisky was served over ice in a narrow and tall glass, the area of the drink in contact with the ice would be quite small as the ice would be stacked up the glass. As ice is necessary to chill the whisky and release its deeper flavors, it’s best to serve the drink in a wide shallow glass where the ice can move around and have more contact area with the liquid, thus chilling the whisky more.

Champagne Flutes.Champagne is traditionally served in a tall, thin flute and there is an interesting reason as to why. The bubbles in champagne contain quite a overpowering aroma that is forcefully released into the glass as the bubbles burst when the reach the surface. If the glass was wider then your nose would enter the glass when drinking and the gas would enter the sinuses, having a negative effect on the flavor.

White and Red Wine Glassware. The shape of a red wine glass is more often than not large and round. The wine can really be thrashed about in this shape of glass and this mixing effect not only enhances certain flavours but releases many more aromas into the glass.  Also a wide glass means your whole nose can easily fit within it, which is important for soaking up all the rich aromas. Most people drink white wine out of a glass with smaller proportions and not so much of a bowl-shape. This is because you want to keep the flavors quite compacted in the glass and absorb more of the aroma of white wine through the mouth rather than the nose.