Image source: Bitburger.

Though I would’ve been open to any invite to crush some beers and watch a World Cup match, when the invite was from Bitburger, I was particularly excited. Their Pilsner is a classic, but their stemmed glass is iconic. It made it into my first drinkware post in 2020.

The event took place at the German House of Soccer, which is a pop-up space in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, created by the German Football Association (DFB) for the World Cup.

Though there was no indication on the invite that they would be using the glass, I was happy just to take part in an event hosted by a company with impeccable taste in drinkware. Nonetheless, I did wonder if they would be using them, and if it was at all possible for me to get my hands on one to bring home. But before we get to that, I have to give a little background on the brewery and their drinkware.

Bitburger advertisements from the early 20th century, each including different types of glassware. Source of images: Bitburger.

Bitburger’s origins are in 1817 in the town of Bitburg in what is now the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. By the 1880s, the brewery was making Pilsner-style beer and was advertising it in stemmed glassware shortly after.

Advertising from the earlier part of the 20th century shows the beer being served in a stemmed glass. It has a long stem and is in a style that is more akin to a wine glass. Another advertisement depicts a different type of stemmed glass that more closely resembles a beer glass.

The iconic Bitburger pokal. Image source: Bitburger.

Fast-forward to 1964, which was when the renowned stemmed glass (sometimes call a “pokal”) was created for the brewery by Rastal. It reflects the Mid-Century Modern design aesthetic from when it was created, but it has endured for decades without feeling dated.

The shape helps concentrate aromas and retain its rocky head of foam. It’s more angular than tulip-shaped glasses, but it’s not extreme like the Teku. It also has a short stem, which helps it avoid being too top-heavy.

Beyond the glass itself, service of the beer includes two other notable elements. First is the three minute pour. The brewery makes a specific point to note that the seven minute pour that is advocated by others is too long, and leads to beer being served too warm and too flat.

The idea is that the three-minute pour creates the perfect amount and type of foam and leads to the ideal sensory experience.

Once the pour is over, a Pilsdecken (also referred to as a drip catcher or drip collar) is placed around the hexagonal stem of the glass. This traditional practice is found in a few places around Germany, but despite all the love of lager in the US in recent years, you will find these being used in very few places domestically. Bierstadt Lagerhaus is one notable example.

Other drinkware options from Bitburger. Source of images: Bitburger.

Bitburger is not a one-trick pony with their drinkware though. They offer a variety of other vessels, including workhorses like the Willi Becher and the Keferloher stein. Those are two of my absolute favorites styles, in part, because of their subtlety. However, next to the pokal, the other standout vessel is the handled glass mug.

Alas, for the big watch party at the House of Soccer, plastic cups were the practical choice. And I totally got that and had no problem with it at all. It was a great time and despite being behind most of the match, Germany ultimately defeated the Ivory Coast with a final score of 2-1.

The icing on the cake came in the bag I was handed on my way out the door. Inside was a commemorative 0.3L Rastal Willi Becher. It’s the precise style and size of glass I typically use when having a lager at home. It didn’t take me long to do just that, with a Bitburger, of course. Bitte ein Bit!

The Bitburger event at the German House of Soccer in New York, NY.

Image sources: Wikipedia and Sahm.

World Cup fever has spread so deeply across the US that even the niche beer glass community is not immune to the excitement. At least three of the country’s top lager brewing specialists (Human Robot, Notch and Cohesion) are currently serving beer in a playful soccer ball mug and I’m all for it.

I’ve seen this mug in the Sahm drinkware catalog for years, but never actually seen it used by anyone. It’s a fun way for beer nerds to celebrate the World Cup and it’s a reminder that proper drinkware plays a part in elevating customers’ experiences.

Though there’s no guide dictating what styles of beer go with this glass, it feels especially suited to lager, in part due to its likeness to the Tübinger mug, albeit in an exaggerated form.

Image sources: Human, Robot, Notch, and Cohesion.

Sahm puts the glass with other lager mugs in their catalog. So, it seems that’s where their head is at too.

It’s no coincidence that the breweries releasing these mugs are already known for their attention to detail when it comes to how they brew and serve their beer. These breweries have committed themselves to getting glassware right. While some might see the soccer mugs as kitschy, Human Robot, Notch and Cohesion have certainly earned the right to have a little fun.

If a mug isn’t quite your jam though, or if you’re looking to dive even deeper into glassware obsession, Sahm sells two other soccer-related glasses that might be of interest. One is an elegant tumbler that incorporates a soccer ball. The other goes in the opposite direction of elegance with a soccer version of the Bierstiefel (the boot, though it’s a modest 0.5-liter in size).  

Two alternatives to Sahm soccer ball mug. Image sources: tumbler, cleat.

At a time when some are saying it’s clear that lager has made a return, the release of these mugs certainly indicates beer culture has changed in the US since the last World Cup. But during a recent taping of the Drink Beer, Think Beer podcast at Notch Brewing’s Forever Lager fest, Notch owner Chris Lohring asked, “now that lager is cool, how long until it’s not?” Time will tell, but I won’t be surprised if even more breweries are selling these for the next World Cup in 2030.

With just 25 miles separating Düsseldorf and Cologne along The Rhine, there’s some overlap between their beer cultures. Visit a Brauhaus in either city and their iconic beers – Altbier and Kölsch, respectively – are traditionally served from wooden barrels (vom Fass) by waiters called Köbesse.

These waiters are known for having an attitude, adding a bit of theater to the experience. They circulate through a brewery’s pub with trays of small, cylindrical beer glasses (called “Stangen” or “Stange” if it’s just one) and will replace a customer’s drink as soon as it’s empty – if not sooner. These trays are called Kranz, and the ones used in Cologne are specifically designed with slots to hold each glass.

A Köbine carrying a Gaffel Kranz. Image source: Gaffel.

Altbier and Kölsch are also unusual as they’re ales in a country known for lager. They’re holdovers from a time when lager wasn’t so dominant.

The beers themselves are the most notable difference between the two cultures. Kölsch is pale, light, and refreshing, while Altbier is darker and has a more robust flavor, lending itself well to hearty dishes.

The Glasses

From left to right (all images sourced from the respective brewery): 1. A Köbes fills a Kranz at Brauerei Päffgen. 2. Holding a Stange of Früh Kölsch. 3. A Stange of Uerige Altbier. Notice the notches on the coaster indicating how many beers the customer has had. 4. A toast to Füchschen Alt.

Much more subtle, but still distinctive, the glass used for Altbier is different than the one used for Kölsch. Simply put, they both have a circular, cylindrical shape, leading to the name “Stange”, which means rod or pole, but the Altbier glass is a bit more stout than the slender Kölsch glass. Though both styles can come in various sizes, Kölsch is typically served in a 0.2L glass and Altbier in a 0.25L glass.

Scouring old glassware catalogs, I can’t find any examples of an Altbier glass that was specifically connected to the style or to Düsseldorf. However, there were several examples for Kölsch going back to the 1930s.

Clip from the 1937/38 Ankerglas Bernsdorf catalog depicting two Kölner Stangen. Image source: glas-musterbuch.de

Though there isn’t a lot of readily available details on the history of these glasses, it is clear that both have been part of the beer cultures in these two cities for generations. And it’s hard to imagine anyone would think of using a different glass any time soon. Aside from perhaps the Masskrug at Oktoberfest, the respective Stangen with Altbier and Kölsch are more hand in hand than any other beer style/glass combo in Germany. So, don’t expect to find your beer in a shaker pint or a TeKu on your next trip to Düsseldorf or Cologne. Joking aside, don’t even expect to see it in the versatile and widely used Willi Becher, which is not a bad alterntive if you’re in a pinch.

The Kölsch Convention

In fact, in Cologne, the glass is so entwined with the culture that its use was formally recognized in the 1986 Kölsch Convention – an agreement between the brewers of Cologne that dictates the parameters for what can be called “Kölsch”.

Within the text is the following passage:

The producers of "Kölsch" shall use their best efforts to ensure that "Kölsch" is only served in the so-called "Kölsch-Stange" (Cologne-Stange), as is commonly used for serving "Kölsch."

In the States

Milk Tube in a Kölsch Stange at Human Robot Brewery in Philadelphia, PA. Image source: Human Robot.

Between the two glasses, the Kölsch Stange is more widely used in the States, which corresponds with the greater ubiquity of the beer style. It has also become the vessel of choice for the “milk tube” trend made popular by Human Robot in Philadelphia where wet foam from a Lukr faucet is poured into a Stange and drank like a shot.

But Altbier is a great style that I’d love to see more brewers making. And if they want to live that #properglassware life, Altbier glasses are readily available from reputable companies like Rastal and Sahm to serve those beers.

Choosing one glass over the other isn’t going to greatly impact your sensory experience when drinking Kölsch or Altbier, outside of the visual aspect that traditionalists and beer nerds like me hold dearly. However, that doesn’t mean that we should use the two interchangeably. They certainly don’t in Germany.