Design Classics: Kölsch Beer Glass
I first discovered this design several years ago while visiting Richard Sapper’s design studio in Milan. After a long day of work Sapper suggested we should celebrate with a toast of his favorite whiskey. His preference by the way is Laphroaig single malt Scotch, or as I like to call it liquid smoke. Amazing taste. He brought out a bottle and poured it into beautiful pure cylindrical glasses that were of a very unusual slender proportion with a extremely thin and elegant wall thickness. The glasses measure 50mm in diameter and just under 160mm tall. For reference a golf ball measures 42.67mm in diameter. I asked Sapper where you can buy glasses like this as they were truly special and appealing to me. He responded that they are glasses used only in Cologne Germany to serve Kölsch beer. He loves the design not only for it’s form, but also it’s value. A 12 count case costs about a dollar a glass!
Here is a VERY detailed excerpt from the Wikipedia regarding Kölsch beer and the unique glass:
Kölsch is a local beer specialty, brewed in Cologne , Germany. It is a clear beer with a bright straw yellow hue, and it has a prominent, but not extreme, hoppiness. It is less bitter than the standard German lager beer, Pils. Furthermore, Kölsch is a top-fermented beer (an ale), meaning that it is fermented at 15 to 20°C (60 to 68°F) and the yeast tends to collect at the top, as opposed to bottom fermented beer (a lager) fermented at much colder temperatures. Kölsch yeast is often confused with a bottom-fermenting lager yeast because of its relatively low fermentation temperature. Although Kölsch ferments colder than most ales, its yeast is definitely an ale strain.
Kölsch should be served at cellar temperature (about 10°C/50°F, not near freezing). It is usually served in long, thin, cylindrical 0.2 litre glasses. This glass is known as a Stange (pole), but is often derisively called a Reagenzglas (test tube), or Fingerhut (thimble). Recently though, many bars have moved to satisfy their more thirsty customers by offering larger, less traditional glasses (0.3 l or 0.4 l) of the same shape, but connoisseurs would even drink it from smaller (0.1 l) glasses, called “Stößche” (Cologne dialect noun for a German verb “stürzen” = to gulp), as the taste of Kölsch, which has no carbonic acid added, is at its best when fresh on draught. Since 1936 Kölsch has also been available in bottled form.
Since I had no immediate plan to visit Cologne, I searched the web for a online source. I was amazed to find a tool supplier in Canada that offers a dozen for an astonishing $12.50. I was prepared to pay far more than that for such a beautiful design. I immediately ordered a dozen for use at the house. Anything you drink from them, beer, wine, whiskey, orange juice, or even water just seems more special. Now I just need to find a source to buy one of those clever trays to carry them with. I think they call them a Kölschkranz. Prost!
David Hill
Lenovo Meet the Modder Dean Liou
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 2
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 1
Lenovo H320 desktop
January 22nd, 2009 2:08 pm
To really understand the beauty of a Kölsch-glass. You have to fill it up. Then you will see how ergonomic it is.
And see the special repository to transport the Kölsch safely.
Rockin regards,
Marco
January 22nd, 2009 5:43 pm
david, good to see you talking about design again. welcome back.
while more of a scotch glass, i have a set of glass tumblers that look like a short, fat version of the kölsch made by libby glass in toledo, ohio. i appreciate them for their dead-simple approach to design. no tricks here — just a straight cylinder with a heavy base.
many times the best designs come from what’s not there, rather than what’s there. even an etched logo on the kölsch glasses could ruin their simplicity.
January 23rd, 2009 2:31 am
Of course, this isn’t related to cylindrical glasses, but…
I have an idea for a small, but easy, improvement for the thinkpad keyboard. What if you also print the letter labels for the Dvorak layout in addition to the standard qwerty layout? Maybe these additional labels would be small, gray, and perhaps printed on the edge of the key instead of the main face.
There are many people who claim improved performance and less fatigue when using the dvorak layout. This could be another selling point for your keyboards: not only do they have the best feeling, but they can help users try/switch to a layout which has performance and fatigue reduction benefits.
I’m personally interested in trying dvorak, but I’m hesitant to rip off the keys and reposition them. It’s easy enough to change the keyboard layout in software (windows as included it for years and years), but there’s no way i’d be able to use a new layout with “mislabeled” keys. I could use an external keyboard for testing, but then i loose every advantage of a thinkpad keyboard on a laptop (x61 tablet here).
Surely, you can see the argument behind my suggestion. It would be an easy way to further differentiate thinkpad and lenovo from your competitors.
Thanks.
January 24th, 2009 1:50 pm
Ben: the benefits of Dvorak over qwerty are largely a myth. Studies that favored Dvorak over qwerty are (ethically) highly questionable: http://www.reason.com/news/show/29944.html
Qwerty actually alternates hands quite often. Also, when I tried Dvorak, I missed the convenience of using the ubiquitous cut-copy-paste short-cuts(ctrl-x,c,v) easily with a single (non-mousing) left hand.
I’d prefer not adding any distractions to the nice, clean design of the Thinkpad keyboard.
To get back on topic, aren’t those narrow glasses a pain to clean (by hand)? I got some Corelle glasses that had a similar narrow design, but it was too difficult to scrub the inside with my hand or other cleaning tool.
January 28th, 2009 3:39 pm
When you are in Cologne you have to try the Frühkölsch (http://www.frueh.de/). In the Pub of Früh near the Cathedral you’ll also get a Kranz for the glases.
February 3rd, 2009 2:40 am
Ben,
I love the Dvorak keyboard layout and have been using it exclusively on my Thinkpad for almost a year. Prior to using Dvorak, I never looked at the keys and still do not today. I would actually like to suggest a BLANK keyboard with only a few major keys labled, Shift, enter, control, etc.
David, Thanks for the Kolsch tip, BTW. I just bought a dozen.
February 9th, 2009 4:34 am
Ah yes, the Kölsch glass. It is great isn’t it. The best part is the small portions of beer which mean you are always drinking it fresh hand cold.
I have to say though, my favorite Kölsch is Päffgen.
February 12th, 2009 11:55 am
Kölsch… what the heck! This is what a beer is supposed to look like: http://cms.tourismus-landkreis.....s_Bier.jpg
February 13th, 2009 6:13 pm
I don’t know where Markus is from, but people from Cologne (like me) usually have a low opinion of Frueh Koelsch (great ads, though) and recommend Reissdorf or Muehlen Koelsch. If you like it more tart you could try Gaffel.
@wonsungi: I read extensively about the topic and there are just as many studies that say it’s myth that there isn’t a different.
Anyway, I tried dvorak and wouldn’t switch back for the world. Have you ever been watching a dvorak typist and a querty typist next to each other. The dvorak typist typically moves her fingers significantly less.
@Ron: The Bavarian “Masz” is known all over the world. Let Cologne have its 5 minutes
February 19th, 2009 8:28 am
@Pallas: All right, since we’re still talking about the glass right? Don’t get me started on the beer…
July 11th, 2009 1:44 pm
Hi David,
Thank you for sharing the source for the famous Kölsch Stange, I have been looking for this glass for years! I called Lee Valley in Canada and they are sending them to me with free FedEx shipping!
Lee Valley has imported these glasses for over twenty years!
Here is their link to this glass:
http://www.leevalley.com/gifts.....mp;p=45168
With respect to the design, it is the simplicity that I was drawn to when I first visited Köln years ago, you can find the Kölschkranz dircect from the breweries’ websites. Certainly worth ordering one online as it will last a long time.
Thanks again!
Ted
September 7th, 2009 4:31 pm
I would also like to know how the hell is one supposed to clean one of these. Unless they are less than 15cm, you won’t get your hand inside. A design omission, I think (or it means that they are designed for beer, that is easy to just rinse out – not for oragne juice or something alike).