Why Drink Is Affected By The Shape of The Glass

A large number of people would be happy drinking every beverage they consume out of the same glass and not worry about the many different shapes and sizes available. Not many people think that a drink can’t be changed very much by what it is drunk from? Interestingly they can, so lets take a look at some of the more common glass shapes and how they came to be this design.

Whisky Glasses. There is a very good reason why people consume whisky from large-diameter glasses rather than the tall thin variety. Because whisky is often consumed ‘straight’ and not diluted with a mixer (although it can be), the volume of a serving is often quite small. What this means is that if it were served in a tall thin glass with ice, the ice would have to be stacked up and only a small amount would be in contact with the whisky. 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 Glasses.This type of wine is served in long thin glasses and again there is a good reason for it. As champagne contains lots of little bubbles, it releases a constant flow of powerful gas into the glass as they float up and reach the surface. The sinuses are strongly effected by the gas and so the rim of the glass is kept narrow so that non of it enters the nose during the drinking process.

White and Red Wine Glasses. 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. The reason for this is that white wine tastes better when the flavours are condensed in the glass and the aromas not absorbed so much via the nasal passage.