Since starting Braxton 7 months ago, I’ve often told friends that the most surprising thing to me about Craft Beer is how many similarities the industry shares with wine. There’s no doubt that the two products couldn’t be further apart, and typically the consumer of each differs greatly, but the industries on the whole share several common threads.

One of those similarities is the appreciation of glass. In wine you’ve got red wine glasses, white wine glasses, goblets, and many more. In my seven months leading Braxton Brewing Company, there are few things that I enjoy more than selecting pieces of glass for our beers. Certainly, there are some who think this is merely a marketing ploy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While it’s certainly just a “vessel”, the glass represents the final attention to detail in presenting all the hard work that goes into the 15-35 day production of that fine beverage you’re about to enjoy.

There are so many effects the glass can have on the beer – from smell, to temperature, to color, that I’d argue the glass you use can truly alter the entire experience you have with a product. Furthermore recent studies state that 80% of what we taste is driven by smell – that’s why you always find craft beer drinkers smelling their products, and why although cans are a better package for beer, we always recommend you pour the beer into a glass.

It’s this attention to detail that inspires us at Braxton, and why I was so excited to stop into the brewery yesterday to pick up a growler of Trophy only to find the a special box sitting on the bar. We’re pretty shameless in sharing our passion for glass and our partnership with Sahm – the leading glass manufacturer out of Germany, but this latest collaboration has been incredibly exciting.

It all started back in April at Craft Brewer’s Conference where Evan, Jonathan, and I stopped by Sahm to catch up. It was there we met Oliver Wesseloh a world class beer sommelier and were shown a new project they had been working on. This glass wasn’t like anything I had ever seen before. The glass was designed according to sensory criteria and is made of high-quality crystal glass. Its most striking design feature: the goblet’s stem is hollow and thereby allows the carbonation to rise further. The content of the glass with its numerous aromas is enriched.

There’s not a more thought out glass in the world than the Hamburg – and we’re thrilled to share that we’re the only brewery in America with this glass. Knowing this, we wanted to debut the glass with a beer as intricate as Dark Charge. On Decmeber 5th you’ll get the opportuntiy to try it out yourself, but if you’re as interested as we are – we’ve got a special event this week with Sahm! On Wednesday, we’ll host Taste by Design with our friends at Sahm to share why this glass is so special. Purchasing your $20 ticket will get you:

1 Braxton Hamburg Glass for your collection

A taste of Dark Charge prior to the release

1 Pint of your choosing

Samples of beer during the course

I hope to see you this week and can’t wait to share the most exciting glass I’ve ever seen!