# What do you call those English beer glasses with a bulge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661 "2004-01-15T22:22:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/21 "2004-01-16T13:17:52Z")
> [@notquitekarpov](#): > > I note the qualification “often” but at least where I come from (London UK) they are a schooner… Can you provide a cite for that? I’m not from London, but I’ve never heard anyone in the UK (or anyone outside Australia/New Zealand) calling any beer glass a schooner. To me schooner means a sherry glass with concave sides, and my dictionary backs that up. There are four styles of “straight” glasses I’m aware of – the concave version **GorillaMan** mentions (which is mainly used in the half pint size), the one with the finger bulge the OP asked about, the fully straight-sided one and one with a gentle convex curve. The glass trade may have its own jargon but as **pjd** says, pub customers call them all “straight glasses”. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/22 "2004-01-16T14:17:20Z")
Seek and thou shalt be given: [http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/glossary.html](http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/glossary.html) Look up schooner, bingo! ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/23 "2004-01-16T14:23:16Z")
OK thanks. We must have too many Aussie bar staff then ;). ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/24 "2004-01-16T14:51:13Z")
At my local the bulging glass is used for real ale, the smooth convex for lager and cider, and straight for Guinness. Except for the London Pride logo glasses which are also straight. The dimpled glass with a handle is called a jug or just a handle. The halves are a mini bulge type. Another advantage to the bulge other than stacking is that they don’t slip out of your hand as easily after a few too many. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/25 "2004-01-16T15:17:45Z")
Actually…I believe that they are called [tulip glasses](http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/guinness/tulip/tulip.html) ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/26 "2004-01-16T15:31:01Z")
> [@beagledave](#): > > Actually…I believe that they are called [tulip glasses](http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/guinness/tulip/tulip.html) I have no idea where they they got that name from. In my book a tulip glass looks [like this](http://www.twinsupply.com/franpics/9405.jpg). A footed glass shaped like a tulip flower. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/27 "2004-01-16T15:34:20Z")
> [@beagledave](#): > > Actually…I believe that they are called [tulip glasses](http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/guinness/tulip/tulip.html) To me also they have always been called [tulip glasses](http://www.beercollections.com/Glassware/Tulip-Glass.htm), as **Beagledave** says above. There are many other generic [beer glass](http://www.beercollections.com/Glassware/Beer-Glasses.htm) designs available also. BTW, Guinness recommend pubs only serve their wares in these (tulip glasses) as it, apparently, pours & settles better in this particular shape of glass. So I’m told by my mate who is currently a Guinness Rep. Bonus point for the first non-Irish who can list the offical colour of Guinness from memory… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/28 "2004-01-16T16:48:20Z")
If you think UK beer glasses are complicated just hop across the channel to Belgium. This country produces hundreds of beers and each type , so some people say, should only be consummed in its own design of glass. This link shows just a small selection :- [http://www.straubs.net/belgium-glasses.htm](http://www.straubs.net/belgium-glasses.htm) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/29 "2004-01-16T18:13:14Z")
> [@KP](#): > > Okay, I stated that [incredibly] poorly. > > I knew that British ounces were slightly smaller than US oz, but I assumed that the “pints” were the same (e.g that 16 fl oz US = 20 fl. oz UK) From here ([http://mng-unix1.marasconewton.com/peacecorps/Documents/R0035/r0035e/r0035e0m.htm](http://mng-unix1.marasconewton.com/peacecorps/Documents/R0035/r0035e/r0035e0m.htm)) I see: > [@](#): > > 100 milliliters = 3.4 (British) ounces = 3.5 (American) ounces so there’s very little in it, but British (fluid) ounces are the larger. ---
**Author:** ![hroeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@hroeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hroeder)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/30 "2004-01-16T19:16:13Z")
I own both pint and half pint glasses. I bought them from one of the links listed above. I have measured the contents just out of curiosity and they hold, respectively, 16 oz. and 8 oz. American. I personally like them because they feel good in my hand. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/31 "2004-01-16T20:37:32Z")
**The Great Unwashed** : that site seems clear enough, and I’ve found others that tell the same story, but [this one](http://www.alltheweb.com/search?avkw=fogg&cat=web&cs=utf-8&q=convert%3A100ml) and [this one](http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/volume) have the opposite figures. The definition [here](http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/Englsh-u_CustomaryUnitsofWeightsandMeasures.asp) explains that: > [@](#): > > The U.S. gallon, or wine gallon, is 231 cubic inches (cu in.); the British imperial gallon is the volume of 10 lb of pure water at 62 and is equal to 277.42 cu in. The British units of liquid capacity are thus about 20% larger than the corresponding American units. The U.S. fluid ounce is 1/16 of a U.S. pint; the British unit of the same name is 1/20 of an imperial pint and is thus slightly smaller than the U.S. fluid ounce. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/32 "2004-01-16T21:15:05Z")
You guys are making me thirsty, and it’s Friday afternoon. I’m off to O’Flaherty’s in a couple of hours for a nonic of Carlsberg. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/33 "2004-01-16T22:04:20Z")
> [@Zaphod7](#): > > honestly we just call them “Pint glasses” if you go into any homewares store in australia and say do you have any pint glasses you get pint glasses, but we also have middy and schooner glasses with bulge now as well. You’d really have to specify that you wanted the bulge. I’ve seen those British-style glasses here, but the vast majority of Australian beer glasses are of the smooth outward-then-inward curve type. Even the pint, which BTW, is not a particularly common measure in Aussie pubs - although it is gaining ground slowly. **notquitekarpov** , that site gives “schooner” as a glass shape. If the term truly isn’t used much in the UK, and is given only because of an Australian influence on pub culture over there, then I’d take issue with it. A schooner in Australia is most definitely a 15 British oz or 3/4 pint _size_, and is the most common beer size ordered in Sydney. It can be in any shape of glass and still be a schooner. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/34 "2004-01-17T00:36:37Z")
the yard glasses are nifty. ---
**Author:** ![johncole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@johncole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johncole)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661/35 "2004-01-17T02:13:58Z")
Many (many) years ago I was working as a contract systems programmer at the HQ of the United Glass group of companies in Middlesex UK. At that time the Ravenhead company was part of the group. The nonic beer glass was first produced by Ravenhead and featured prominently in their vanity display outside the board room. The _principal_ reason for the design was to allow the glasses to be “herded” on the counter or in the washing trays without the rims coming into contact. If the rims contacted each other, eventually the glasses would develop small nicks in the rims and have to be discarded. Hence the name “nonic”, as a short form of “no nicks”. This was a valuable selling point when dealing with the breweries as it significantly extended the working life of the glasses. The advantage of being able to stack the glasses was, at best, a secondary advantage. [This link](http://www.okcastlebar.ie/index.php?pa=db&sel=glassware) shows both nonic and tulip glasses. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-those-english-beer-glasses-with-a-bulge/224661.md?page=1)