Why Do Some Beer Glasses Have a Bulge at the Top?

There’s a wide variety of beer glasses out there, and many of them are designed for specific types of beer. But you might notice a specific pint glass pretty often, and it has a subtle bulge at the top. Given that many others don’t have that feature, what makes this pint glass special?

That’s called a nonic pint glass, and the bulge does serve a purpose—several, in fact.

For beer drinkers, the bump is particularly useful as it provides a better grip. When your glass is slick with condensation due to an ice-cold beer, keeping your hold might prove difficult. The bump at the top gives a little resting spot for your hand. Then, there’s the reason it has the name nonic.

A beer glass’s rim is often the most vulnerable to breaks and chips. If a nonic pint glass tips over, the thicker glass of the bulge prevents the rim from hitting a surface. It can prevent “nicks,” get it?

Finally, the bulge is useful for bartenders. Where normal pint glasses can stick together when stacked behind a bar, the bump at the top of nonic pints give a resting place to other glasses. Instead of getting stuck, a pint glass stacked on top rests on the bulge and is easy to extract for a bartender.

The next time you’re out to dinner and order a beer or head to the bar for an evening out, keep an eye on the type of pint glass you get. If it’s got that bulge, you now know why.