A snifter (also called brandy balloon, brandy snifter, brandy glass, brandy bowl or a cognac glass) is a type of stemware, a short-stemmed Drinkware whose vessel has a wide bottom and a relatively narrow top. It is mostly used to serve aged brown liquors such as bourbon whiskey, brandy and whisky.
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,
mainly those that feature complex aromas and have an
ABV measure of 8% or higher, such as
imperial stout,
Baltic porter,
barley wine, and double India pale ale.
