How Glass Shape Affects The Flavor of Drink

You might wonder why there are so many different shapes and sizes of glasses on the market today. Not many people think that a drink can’t be changed very much by what it is drunk from? Well you might be interested to learn that they definitely can, and here is an explanation why.

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 Flutes.If you have ever wondered why this often expensive drink is served in a tall and narrow glass, here is your answer. The sparkling nature of champagne means that it gives off a gas when the bubbles reach the surface and burst. 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.

Red and White Wine Glasses. Red wine glasses are often large and bowl shaped. What this means is that you can swish as swirl the wine about in the glass, breaking up the flavours and releasing more of them into the body of the wine.Additionally, more air-born aromas can be inhaled as the drinker’s nose is able to fit into the glass’ bowl. A more conservative and tubular glass is used for consuming white wine. 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.