About Barware

Ice beer is beer which is conditioned in a chilled environment, promoting the development of ice crystals which are removed, thereby concentrating the flavor and alcohol content of the beer. Ice beers are made with a lager base, and they appear in a variety of guises. German ice beers or eisbocks are very strong winter lagers with a rich, complex flavor, while North American ice beers tend to be short on flavor and long on alcohol, designed for the purpose of cheap intoxication.

The discovery of ice beer was probably a mistake, much like other discoveries in the world of beer. Lagers are traditionally aged, sometimes in very cool environments, and according to legend, some German beer makers were dismayed to find ice in their lager one day, so they removed it, creating the first eisbock. German ice beers are dark, thick, and very strong, with a malty flavor and a formidable alcohol content, and they were designed for drinking in the winter, when some people enjoy hearty beers with a filling texture.

Canadian and American brewers eventually picked up the idea, developing their own take on ice beer. North American ice beers tend to be slightly sweet, with an increased alcohol content and a pale flavor. These beers are often very cheap, marketed in packaging which is designed to appeal to heavy drinkers, and some breweries have been criticized for the marketing tactics used to promote ice beer.

The process involved in the conditioning of ice beer is a classic example of fractional distillation. In fractional distillation, a fluid is chilled or heated to separate its components. In the case of ice beer, the water in the beer freezes before the alcohol, creating ice chips which can be removed from the beer, leaving the alcohol behind. Enterprising beer drinkers can even create their own ice beer by chilling beer in a carefully controlled environment, removing it before it freezes completely so that it can be strained to remove the ice. Ice beers should not be confused with serving beer in a ice cold beer mug.

Types of Wine Glasses

Most wine drinkers would agree that different styles of wines demand different types of wine glasses. At its most basic, think of the preferred wine glasses for Champagne and sparkling wines (a flute), red wines (a wine glass with a larger bowl) and white wines (a smaller bowl). This led to the development of the concept that close matching of the type of wine glass to the style of wine would be of benefit to the wine drinker, a concept which a number of manufacturers of wine glasses have grasped firmly with both hands.

Different types of wine glasses - an important consideration when choosing wine glasses. Personally I feel such a large range is overkill. I suspect most wine drinkers could quite adequately get by with just two or three different types of wine glasses in their home bar glass wine sets. I would suggest as starting point the three types of wine glasses mentioned above - a standard glass for whites, something a little larger, perhaps, for reds, and of course a flute or similar style for Champagne or sparkling wine.

Infamous for its proposed connection with hallucinogens, absinthe has had a long and storied history. But many of the claims that the drink is in any way a narcotic are largely the product of rumors, incorrect information, and botched experiments. In general, absinthe is a distilled and highly alcoholic drink. It is anise-flavored, giving it a characteristic taste that some have equated to black licorice.

The drink is naturally a green color, although some forms of the spirit are colorless. The green color, however, earned the drink one of its many nicknames, la fée verte, which means the green fairy. Historical figures that were said to be devotees of absinthe include Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, Vincent van Gogh, and others. In modern times, more and more people are realizing that the ill effects of absinthe have been greatly exaggerated. As such, it is making its way back into pop culture, and it’s now somewhat common to see an absinthe fountain at any number of private or commercial parties.

Wine Glasses

In order to get the most enjoyment out of every bottle of wine, it is necessary to give at least a little thought to choosing the glass barware or wine glasses that you plan to use. There are many different types of wine glasses, of varying styles and quality. There are a number of manufacturers of fine, and somewhat expensive, crystal glasses, designed specifically for use with certain wines, and some such glasses are illustrated on this page. It’s not necessary to spend big bucks, however, as long as you purchase glasses, also often referred to as ’stemware’, which obey a few simple rules.

Choosing Wine Glasses

Rule #1
When choosing wine glasses, firstly pay attention to the material from which it is made. At the very least, the glass must be plain and clear. Part of the enjoyment of wine is appreciation of the colour. The colour can also impart a lot of information about the wine, giving clues to the grapes used, the age of the wine, and so on. Consequently, wine glasses made from coloured or frosted glass, or worse still solid materials such as pewter or silver, are useless. I personally feel that cut crystal is also detrimental to the appearance of the wine, but this is a personal bugbear, which also relates to the size and shape (they are generally far too small) of many such glasses, which makes them completely inappropriate for the appreciation of wine.

Rule #2
Secondly, when choosing wine glasses, make sure that you select glasses which are of a sufficient size. The bowl should be large enough to allow a fair measure to be poured, whilst leaving enough room for the wine to be gently swirled without spilling the wine. This swirling action is to release aromas from the wine, and is therefore vitally important. Many types of wine glasses are so tiny that they must be filled to the brim in order to achieve a decent size pour, and these are therefore plainly inadequate.

Rule #3
The glass must have a stem, not just for aesthetic reasons, but mainly so that the wine glass may be held without covering the bowl in greasy fingerprints. Holding by the stem also ensures that warmth from the hand does not increase the temperature of a wine that has been served chilled, although in practice I’ve never found this to be a real problem. Watch any accomplished wine taster and you will notice that their hand very rarely touches the bowl, as it quickly becomes second nature to hold the glass only by the stem or base.

Rule #4
So, in choosing our wine glasses, we have selected a style made from clear glass, which has a stem, and is of a decent size. Surely there are no other important considerations? There are, however, as the shape of the bowl is of considerable importance. Good wine glasses taper in somewhat at the top, so that the aperture is narrower than the bowl lower down. Whilst this appearance is aesthetically pleasing, it is also of functional importance. A wine taster will use a swirling action to release precious aromas from the wine, and this tapered shape serves to concentrate the aromas towards the nose. This design is particularly evident in glasses designed for Pinot Noir, in which appreciation of the full range of aromas is so important in enjoying the wine.

Decanting Wine: How to do it

Assuming that we are decanting a wine in order to remove it from its sediment, there is a simple procedure to follow. If decanting a wine simply to aerate it and perhaps liven it up a little, this procedure doesn’t really matter. Simply pour the wine into any suitable receptacle with minimal fuss.

Decanting wine: First, take the wine from where it has been stored, hopefully lying on its side in a suitably cool, dark environment. If you suspect a considerable amount of sediment, as may occur with older wines, it’s advisable to stand the bottle upright for a day or so prior to decanting, thus allowing the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle. When the time comes to decant the wine, assemble the few things which you will need. These are corkscrew and bottle (obviously), together with a suitable receptacle, which does not have to be anything fancy, a simple carafe such as the one shown here will do, together with a suitable source of light. I use a small candle, as shown here, but a small torch or anything similar will do.

Second, remove the entire capsule from around the neck of the bottle, using a knife or other implement. It’s important to remove the whole capsule, and not just the top, as you need to have a clear view into the neck of the bottle whilst decanting. This is so that you can observe the wine coming through the neck for sediment. To enhance your view of the wine in the neck, position the light source shining through the neck from behind. Once done, you are ready to pour.

Hold the receptacle in one hand and the bottle in the other, and with a smooth and steady action, pour the wine into the decanter. Don’t rush when decanting, rather use a gentle, steady movement, to avoid disturbing the sediment in the wine. Keep the neck of the bottle over the light source, so that you can observe for an arrowhead of sediment moving into the neck of the bottle. This is your cue to stop pouring.

Decanting wineIf you’ve done it all correctly, this should be the end result. A full carafe or decanter of clear wine, with just half a glass or so of sediment-laden wine remaining. This remaining portion makes a great addition to the gravy, should you be decanting the wine as an accompaniment to a roast dinner. Don’t fret too much if you haven’t achieved a crystal clear pour, as a small amount of very fine sediment is not a great concern - as long as the large, unpalatable pieces have been removed.

Decanting Wine

Who actually owns a decanter nowadays? People who live in stately homes, or perhaps the proprietors of antique and curiosity shops? No, not at all. Anyone who wants the best from their wine should own one. Decanting wines is not just for show, and even in this modern age of industrial, fined and filtered wines, some will still benefit from spending some time in a decanter.
Why Does a Wine Need Decanting?

In times gone by, before so many wines were routinely fined and filtered to a crystal clear state, it was quite common for wines poured from both barrel and bottle to contain a considerable degree of solid matter. In order to avoid bringing an unsightly looking wine to the table, it was quite the norm to decant the wine into a suitably resplendent receptacle. The need for such a receptacle led to the development of the many and varied elegant decanters which are available today.

Most wines on the shelves today, however, have no real need for decanting. The winemaking process ensures the wine is thoroughly clarified (even if it may mean stripping the wine of some of its flavour) before it is bottled, by a process of fining (passing egg whites, bentonite clay or other unsavoury substances through the fine to collect solid matter) and mechanical filtration. Although these wines are often best served from the bottle (after all, you’ve paid for the label), many others still benefit from decanting.

Wines which have aged in bottle, typically red wines rather than white, will generally throw a sediment by perhaps ten years of age or more. Not only is this sediment displeasing to the eye, it can also be quite unpleasant in the mouth. More than any other wines, these are the ones that deserve decanting. Young wines also benefit from decanting, although the aim is not to take the wine off its sediment (there is rarely any such sediment in young wines), but rather to aerate the wine. The action of decanting itself, and the large surface area in contact with the air in the decanter, alters the wine, softening its youthful bite and encouraging the development of the more complex aromas that normally develop with years in bottle. For this reason even inexpensive wines plucked from the shelves of the local supermarket can benefit from decanting, if a first taste reveals a tannic, grippy, youthful structure.

There’s nothing more unappealing than a glass of warm beer. For many people, this is practically undrinkable, even if you’re serving a high quality beer. Since the temperature of the beer is so pivotal to the taste, make sure that you do everything you can to ensure the beer you serve is frosty cold. For one, always keep your beer in a cool refrigerator, so it will be cold from the onset.

Another important step is keeping your beer mugs in the freezer. Whether they’re glass or some other material, this will offer your beer an extra level of chill. Do be careful that the glasses don’t get bumped in the freezer, as they could potentially shatter. And with beer mugs, you have the benefit of pouring as much or as little as you want. So if you have any beer left in the bottle, you can simply place this right back in the fridge to ensure that every part of the beer is served cold.