Redesigning Beer Glassware

At BitterSweet Partnership, we believe that looks do matter – at least when it comes to the presentation of your food and drink. Take cupcakes, for example: sales have increased by 22% over the past year to an estimated annual turnover of £37m. While cupcakes are undeniably tasty, it’s certain that this craze has been fuelled mostly by looks rather than on what’s inside.

It’s a testament to the power of packaging, and a lesson that we think should be applied to the experience of drinking beer in pubs. Not that we think you should serve icing on a Worthington White Shield, but we do fancy drinking it in an elegant glass - as do many women, we suspect: our survey found that 29% think they look masculine while drinking beer, and 23% worry about looking ‘chavvy’. I suspect that most of these worries would disappear with the right glassware, as I’ve never heard of anyone feeling this way about a martini glass or a champagne flute.

If you’ve read any of my posts on The Good Pub Guide blog before, you’ll know that BitterSweet Partnership is all about encouraging more women to try (and enjoy) beer – and one of the ways in which we’re doing this is to experiment with beer glassware that women would feel proud to sip from in the pub. We’ve teamed up with Amy Molyneaux, co-founder of leading fashion label PPQ, to design four half-pint glasses to bring a stylish, fashionable touch to beer drinking for women. We’re encouraging all women to vote for the one they prefer, and the winning design will be put into production next year – go here to vote for your favourite

We’d be interested to know what you think – is beer best enjoyed in a traditional pint glass or mug, or like us are you ready for a change?