Beer mugs

The range here runs from 28 to 60 cl, and in practice that means two categories. The 28 and 29 cl tankards are the small size: a half, handy when the beer needs to stay cold because you finish it quickly. The 50 to 60 cl models are the pint size and the classic tankard size, and that is where the emphasis lies.

Watch three things when choosing. The handle should leave room for four fingers, otherwise the weight rests on your knuckles. The base may be thick, because that keeps the beer cool longer and makes the glass tip-resistant on a crowded table. And the wall determines the weight: thick-walled pressed tankards already weigh a fair bit empty, while thinner-walled models drink more pleasantly but insulate less.

Rinse the tankard with cold water before you pour. A tankard holds a lot of glass and therefore a lot of mass, and a lukewarm tankard draws noticeably more cold out of the beer than a thin glass does. Then hold it at an angle, pour against the wall to about two thirds and straighten it up to build the head.

For cocktails the tankard is rarely the right glass: those are built on ice and a tankard is not shaped for it. The exception is the moscow mule, which traditionally does go in a mug with a handle, for the same reason as beer. If you want something stronger alongside the beer, the kopstoot is the classic combination: a small glass of jenever next to the beer, not in it.

Beer is demanding about its glass. Grease is the enemy: one greasy fingerprint on the inside and the head collapses within a minute. So wash tankards separately from greasy crockery, use little rinse aid and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

The handle is the weak point during washing. Place tankards in the rack so the handles don't touch, because that is where they snap off. Let them drain upside down on a rack rather than drying them, because a cloth leaves lint and grease behind and you will notice it on the next head.

If you are after a beer glass without a handle, the choice is much wider among the beer glasses. For tulips, goblets and the shapes that differ per beer style, look at the craft beer glasses. If you want to serve a whole table at once instead of glass by glass, the pitchers are ready for it. Searching by brand? The heavier professional tankards come from Onis and the pressed models from Arcoroc.