Beer Glassware is a surprisingly important part of any beer drinking experience. The right glassware can certainly enhance the aroma, taste, and visual appear of whatever beer is contained within it.
Enter Craftd Glass - a new startup from Perth, Western Australia offering a selection of quality, hand made craft beer glasses.
We were in the market for some new glassware to add to our collection so opted for their Freddy and Alpha style glasses. You can only buy their glasses in pairs since the good people at Craftd believe drinks are best enjoyed in company - plus you'll have a spare in case you break one.
Ordering online via their website was quick and easy - and delivery was prompt. The glasses arrived in their own well padded/protected boxes, including a hand written note which was a nice touch.
The "Freddy" is a can-shaped glass with a capacity of 500ml when filled to the brim. The top of the glass tapers inwards a little to assist with head retention and aroma concentration. It holds a lot more than it looks like it should - and after emptying a standard 375ml can into it, there's still plenty of head space left over. Perhaps too much - we personally would have liked it if the Freddy was a little bit smaller since most beers come in 375ml or 330ml options and it does feel a little big in the hands - especially when you compare it to holding onto a regular aluminium can.
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| The Craftd Freddy glass |
The "Alpha" is an IPA style glass - designed to highlight the complex hop aromas typically found in IPA style beers. This is achieved by the bulbous shape that tapers inwards at the top of the glass - and if you've ever experienced such a beer out of an IPA style glass, you'll know that there is actually some merit to these claims - they actually work! The Alpha also has a capacity of 500ml when filled to the brim which seems to suit the dimensions and style of this glass better than the Freddy.
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| The Craftd Alpha |
The quality and feel of both glasses is exceptional. They are made from high quality lead free crystal which means the clarity and visual appeal of the beer within them is completely uninhibited, and they feel a little weighty in the hands too - in a good way. We've used other beer 'glasses' before that feel really light and almost like they're made with a high density plastic rather than glass, but that's certainly not the case here.
Craftd glasses are handmade - although it's not clear where. Presumably not in Australia, although the Craftd website does state the glasses are designed in Australia. Being handmade means they would be prone to imperfections such as bubbles during manufacturing - however there was no sign of any deformities or imperfections in any of the four glasses we have. We wouldn't mind if there was though (so long as it didn't affect the use or performance of the glass of course). Such imperfections would be a subtle reminder that what you are holding is hand made, and therefore unique and absolutely one of a kind.
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| Foam packaging is thick and helps prevent breakages during shipping |
Both styles of glasses bear the Craftd logo (the Alpha has the logo only, whereas the Freddy has the logo and the Craftd name on it as well). They claim to be dishwasher safe as well, but it's probably not a great idea to be washing dedicated beer glasses in the dish washer anyway since they are quite harsh, and can leave soapy residues which will affect glass performance (ie. head retention) and contribute to off soapy flavours in your next beer. No thanks! We found rinsing with hot water immediately after use was sufficient, but Craftd also suggest using baking powder and/or a weak vinegar solution for cleaning which would also work and alleviate the previously mentioned problems with dishwashers (or using other regular dishwashing soap/detergent).
Pricing for the glasses is a little on the expensive side with the Freddy retailing at $25.99 (for a pair), and the Alpha retailing at $29.99 (for a pair). Whilst a little expensive perhaps when compared to other options - remember that these are hand made from quality crystal glass, and are a solid investment in your beer drinking adventures. They'd no doubt last a lifetime if treated well.
We'd highly recommend any of Craftd's range of glasses and will likely be buying some more from them in the future.
You can check out Craftd's website at https://craftdglass.com/
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