A snifter (also called brandy snifter, brandy glass, brandy bowl, or a cognac glass) is a type of
stemware, a short-stemmed
glass
Glass is a non-Crystallinity, crystalline, often transparency and translucency, transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most ...
whose
vessel has a wide bottom and a relatively narrow top. It is mostly used to serve aged brown liquors such as
bourbon Bourbon may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash
* Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels
* Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit
* A beer produced by ...
,
brandy, and
whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...
.
Design
The large surface area of the contained liquid helps evaporate it, the narrow top traps the aroma inside the glass, while the rounded bottom allows the glass to be cupped in the hand, thus warming the liquor. Most snifters will hold , but are almost always filled to only a small part of their capacity. Most snifters are designed so that when placed sideways on a level surface, they will hold just the proper amount before spilling.
A variant is called a pipe glass or pipe snifter, used for port and brandy.
Usage with beer
The attributes that have made the snifter a popular glass for brandy have also made it a preferred glass for some styles of
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...
, mainly those that feature complex aromas and have an
ABV measure of 8% or higher, such as
imperial stout
Stout is a dark, top-fermented beer with a number of variations, including dry stout, oatmeal stout, milk stout, and imperial stout.
The first known use of the word ''stout'' for beer, in a document dated 1677 found in the Egerton Manuscrip ...
,
Baltic porter,