In our ongoing beer education, it’s no longer just about what we’re drinking – how it is served has great import, as well.
Today’s savvy aficionados carefully recognize the significance that proper glassware holds toward overall flavor, aroma and headiness. Heaven help any bartender who mistakenly pours a crisp pilsner into a wide mouth goblet, or an Imperial IPA into a slender cylinder! When it comes to bringing out the best in beer, these things matter.
Still, even the most obsessive “vessel-vassal” has his or her favorite no-glass-needed beer; one where the bottle or can is just as important as the sudsy contents inside.
Here are a few trustworthy brands known for having stellar qualities in their virginal forms – sans glass:
Yuengling Lager
I’d swear the old drinking song “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” is a musical homage to Pottsville, PA’s finest brewskie. Think about it: In the ditty (“Take one down, pass it around”) no one’s concerned about proper glassware usage. To further prove my point: Have you ever seen a bar patron not drinking Yuengling directly from the bottle? Since 1823, it’s always been best as-is.
Heineken
It’s not as if this mass produced Dutch import is an exceptionally flavorful lager. Heineken, however, does accrue points for being really refreshing, and let’s face it: With that short neck, those high shoulders and distinctive emerald hue, few bottles are as damn sexy as Heineken’s iconic container. If you agree then you may be disappointed to learn that Heineken International is scrapping their seductive design in lieu of a tall-necked bottle, coming to the States in 2013, so get ready and prepare to break out the cozy to cover up this Hollander’s skinny new form.
Ommegang Brewery Hennepin Ale
Crisp and snappy, Cooperstown, New York’s famed farmhouse saison is a hot summer’s day’s best companion – an utterly drinkable quaff, and arguably at it’s best when it has just pulled from a chilly fridge or cooler.
Anything from Sixpoint
Brooklyn’s brew gods have made impressive inroads along the East Coast; those silvery four-pack pounder cans of Sweet Action, Righteous Rye, Resin, Bengali Tiger, and other intriguing styles are seemingly everywhere these days. Sixpoint’s growing lineup is delicious straight out of the can and best of all – no aluminum aftertaste.
Corona Extra – Pop the cap. Insert lime. Drink. Repeat…
Say what you want to about the flavor of this thin & pale Mexican thirst-quencher. Imbibing a Corona & lime is fun, and for better or worse – after enough of them – it’s as if you’re having one long night in Tijuana.
Sly Fox Pikeland Pils
Any brew in the Sly Fox canon has incredible merit.
I find their German style pilsner is simply terrific when sipped right from that 12-ounce metal keg of a can, offering vast enjoyment with each pull of the tab.
Rolling Rock
A bucket of rocks on ice. Need I say more?
Leinenkugel Summer Shandy
Wheat-y and piquant with lemon, this seasonal release may not win any Beer Week awards for its complexity (or lack thereof), however, a couple of bottles while on the beach after a sweaty game of volleyball and who’s gonna’ care?
Here’s a final “Cheers!” to each beer: A bottle-to-bottle/Can against can salute!
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