The shaker pint glass has, over the years, emerged as the most ubiquitous and iconic on-premise beer glass, virtually relegating the mug to retro status. But some in the industry feel it has overstayed its welcome.

Brooklyn Brewery VP and brew master Garrett Oliver doesn't mince words: "I think a shaker pint is probably about the worst glass out there. It's pretty much a jam jar."

Oliver is not alone in his antipathy toward the glass. Pat Rafter, on-premise manager for Union, NJ, USA-based Coors, import and specialty beer distributor Peerless Beverage isn't a big fan either. "The biggest negative in our market is that 16-ounce shaker glass," Rafter says.

Generally, they say, the glass adversely impacts the beer's presentation. The head dissipates too quickly in a pint glass, due to a combination of its shape and wide mouth. Also, for the purposes of aroma and flavor, certain beer styles require glasses specifically designed for them.

But don't expect the glass to go away any time soon. On-premise facilities, for the most part, find them attractive because they're stackable and, therefore, take up a lot less bar space. And that's a pretty significant consideration in big city markets where space is at a premium. They're also usually pretty durable, significantly more so than the delicate glassware used for specialty beer. So the on-premise sites feel they have a better chance of guarding against butter-fingered bartenders and wait staff. 

Unfortunately, says Rafter, they're overused for those very reasons. Logo glasses are used interchangeably among brands, undermining the brewer's and distributor's branding efforts. They're also used for everything from soft drinks to tap water and are therefore, not "beer clean," he says. Beer glass washing is a rigorous process and conventional industry wisdom dictates that only beer be served in a beer glass.

Consumers, Oliver says, don't have to accept that though. He reiterates what he advised bar and restaurant patrons to do in his book, The Brew Master's Table "If you have a more serious beer and they try to give you a glass like that, just politely tell them that you want a proper glass and if they don't have a proper glass, get a wine glass," Oliver suggests. "Get something that's really going to show off the beer, which, after all, you're paying for."