Introduction
I love beer. I love drinking it, talking about it, and, most importantly, judging how other people drink it. And if you ever want to experience true beer culture whiplash, just hop on a flight from the Netherlands or Belgium to the USA.
It's like stepping out of a well-organized beer paradise and into a frat party where the rules of glassware and common sense no longer apply.
The Sacred Glassware of the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, they take beer seriously. Not in an uptight way, but in a "we respect the beer" way. Every respectable bar serves your beer in its designated glass. Order a Heineken? You get a Heineken glass. A La Trappe Quadrupel? That arrives in its own holy chalice, like the brewer himself whispered a blessing over it. There's an unspoken agreement: beer tastes better when served in the right glass!
Now, fast forward to America. This is not always the case but you walk into a brewery, excited to try their finest craft brew, and they serve it sometimes to you in... a plastic cup. I wish I were joking. A freshly brewed, supposedly artisanal IPA, in the same vessel used for keg stands and cheap soda at kids' birthday parties. It’s like putting a Michelin-star meal on a paper plate. The beer deserves better. We all do.
The IPA Obsession
Speaking of American beer culture, let's talk about IPA. If you haven't noticed, Americans love their IPAs. It's their go-to, their bread and butter, their "I'm a real beer drinker" badge of honor. Don’t get me wrong, a good IPA is fantastic, but let's be honest—it’s the easiest beer to make. Want to brew an IPA? Just throw in an absurd amount of hops at every stage of the brewing process, and voilà! Congratulations, you're now a craft brewer.
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, they have a balanced beer diet. Sure, some do appreciate a good IPA, but they also celebrate pilseners, blondes, tripels, dubbels, witbiers, and anything that doesn't taste like you’re chewing on a Christmas tree. Variety is the spice of life, and they like our beer the way they like their cheese—diverse, full of character, and always paired with the right glass.
Bottle vs. Glass: The Great Divide
Another major cultural difference? Most Dutch drink beer from a glass, as any civilized society should. Even if you buy a bottle at home, chances are you’ll pour it into the appropriate glass before taking a sip. It just tastes better that way, and frankly, it’s the way the brewer intended.
In America, however, drinking beer straight from the bottle or can is not just acceptable—it’s the norm. In bars, at BBQs, even sometimes in breweries where they made the beer, you’ll see people chugging straight from the source. Why? Do Americans enjoy missing out on aroma, proper carbonation, and the satisfaction of a well-poured beer? Or is it a resistance to doing dishes? The world may never know.
Final Thoughts
Despite all of this, I have to give credit where it's due: Americans are enthusiastic about their beer. They experiment, they innovate, and they are single-handedly keeping the hop industry alive. And hey, if they’re happy drinking a double dry-hopped IPA out of a plastic cup, who am I to judge? (Okay, I will still judge a little.)
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, they’ll continue to enjoy their well-balanced beers in their rightful glassware, smug in the knowledge that beer should be treated with the respect it deserves. Cheers—or as the Dutch say, proost!
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