LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2017

GIFTING  MAKE IT CLEAR

WEIZEN Tall and elegantly curvaceous, the weizen glass evolved in Germany as the perfect vessel for a wheat beer. The narrow base catches the yeasts in the unfiltered brew as they drift downwards, while the flared top provides plenty of room for a foamy head and gives free rein to the delec- table fruity, spicy aromas of the beer. (Spiegelau wheat beer glass, set of 2, $29.99, yongestreetwinery.com)

CHALICE The traditional glass for Belgian ales, the chalice is a stemmed bowl often decorated with a brewery’s name or a fancy gold rim. Beers with high alco- hol levels are meant to be sipped not chugged, and the chalice (or its sibling, the goblet) is sometimes etched inside to encourage CO 2 bubbles to form, rise up and perpetuate the head. (Abbey beer glasses, set of 4, $29.00, cocktailemporium.ca)

PILSNER There is no better way to admire the colour, clarity and effervescence of a pilsner or lager than to serve it in one of these tall, tapered glasses. They look a little top-heavy, but the sturdy base gives it much-needed stability. Some pilsner glasses have a small stem, in which case they are technically known as Pokal glasses. (Pilsner glasses, set of 4, $33.00, cocktailemporium.ca)

ERDINGER VARIETY PACK LCBO 519751, 5 pk, $19.95 Explore the world of Erdinger wheat beer with five different German weizen styles ranging from dunkel to the yeast- free, sparkling kristall. The pack also contains a branded weizen glass from the brewery.

CHIMAY GIFT PACK LCBO 519223, 3 pk, $15.95 Three different Chimay ales, including the full- bodied, hoppy Tripel (8% alcohol by volume, or ABV), all brewed in the Trappist Scourmont Abbey in Belgium, come with their own branded Chimay chalice.

HOLSTEN PREMIUM PILSENER LCBO 288365, 500 mL, $2.10 Pair your favourite lager with the gift of a pilsner glass—or choose this crisp German example. Subtle aromas of malty grain, apple and pear add interest to the main event—refreshment.

Ask for any beer in an English pub and it comes in a pint glass or a dimpled pint mug with a handle, regardless of the brew. Ask in Germany, and every beer will be served in a glass appropriate to its style. Ask in Belgium, and chances are each brand of beer will have its own distinctly shaped and decorated vessel (to the delight of beer glass collectors). It has a lot to do with marketing, to be sure, but there’s no denying that the shape of a glass is as important for beer as it is for wine, displaying a brew’s appearance, maintaining its head and enhancing aromas. beer

212  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2017