Forget the brew itself, the secret to a sweeter-tasting pint might be in your hands. A new scientific study suggests that the very glass from which you drink your beer can dramatically alter your perception of its flavour.
The Glass as a 'Co-Star' in Your Drinking Experience
Researchers from Chuo University in Japan have concluded that a drinking vessel should not be seen as a mere container. Instead, they argue it acts as an active contributor, or even a 'co-star', in the multi-sensory experience of enjoying a beer. The findings, published in the academic journal Food Quality and Preference, challenge our basic assumptions about how we taste.
Blindfolded Tasters and the Sweetness Illusion
To test their theory, the scientists enlisted 49 men and women, all of whom were regular beer and wine drinkers. The participants were not told the purpose of the experiment. Each was blindfolded and given two glasses of the same beer to taste at a time.
The glasses used in each test were almost identical in shape, with one crucial difference: the rim thickness. One glass had a thin rim measuring between 1mm and 1.2mm, while the other featured a significantly thicker rim of 2.9mm to 3mm.
The results were striking. The blindfolded drinkers described nearly two-thirds of the samples sipped from the thicker-rimmed glasses as being noticeably sweeter than the beer from the thin-rimmed vessels, despite the liquid being identical.
The Psychology Behind the Pint
Commenting on the study, Professor Charles Spence, a leading expert in experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, explained the phenomenon. 'People associate sweetness with roundness,' he said, 'and it may be that the rounder feeling of a thicker glass lip against the lip primes sweetness.'
Professor Spence noted that these findings build on an emerging body of gastrophysics research. This field demonstrates that while we cannot literally taste our plates, cups, or cutlery, the tableware we use exerts a significant influence over our tasting experience. This affects both what we think we are tasting and how much we ultimately enjoy the drink.
So, the next time you order a beer, consider that your enjoyment may depend as much on the glass as on the brewmaster's skill.
