October 1999

I have a question. I am about to purchase my first bottle of barley wine and wanted to know if there was a preferred method of drinking it. Does one drink it out of the traditional pint glass or is it better to drink it out of a wine glass? I know of it's high alcohol content and did not want to ruin the experience by consuming too much.

If you look in Michael Jackson's book "Ultimate Beer" you will see many barleywines pictured in smaller goblet-type glasses. They are excellent for barleywine because you can swirl them with your fingers and catch the complex aromas. They are good for letting the beer warm, and you can how the taste changes. Remember, barleywine may be twice as strong the beer you usually drink, so proceed accordingly.

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