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. 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. There is a very good reason why people consume whisky from large-diameter glasses rather than the tall thin variety. Although mixers are sometimes added to a whisky drink, it is still frequently enjoyed straight and therefore in smaller volumes. 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.This type of wine is served in long thin glasses and again there is a good reason for it. 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. 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 Glassware. You will find that red wine glasses tend to have a large, deep-bowled body. 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. Also a wide glass means your whole nose can easily fit within it, which is important for soaking up all the rich aromas. White wine glasses are generally smaller and thinner. 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.
