What is the tap size of a beer glass?

12 February 2025 - Reading time 3 min. - Floris de Bruin
What is the tap size of a beer glass?

What is the tap size of a beer glass? What does it mean? A fair question! When you tap a beer, you prefer to have a good, beautiful head. The tap size of a beer glass plays an important role here. After all, it determines how much beer is poured into the glass, including the head. But how is the tap size determined, and why does it vary from glass to glass? In this blog, we explain what the tap size of a beer glass or beer mug is.

What does tap size mean?

It is very simple. Let's take the 34 cl vase as an example. 34 cl in this case is the total content of the glass. If you were to fill it to the brim with beer, without a head, you would have a 34 cl beer. Of course, you don't want that; you want a firm head, two fingers thick! This is why we also mention the tap size with every beer glass.

The tap size of the Vase is 30 cl. So if you want to tap a beer, you will have a nice 30 cl beer and a nice head. It is possible to have a line printed on your beer glass. That way you know how much the glass holds and what the tap size is.

 

What are the advantages of a tap size?

Knowing the tap size of a beer glass is advantageous for a couple of reasons:

  1. It makes for a better tasting experience. By knowing the tap size, you ensure the right ratio of beer to head, resulting in the perfect beer. Then that beer tastes just that little bit better.
  2. It saves the on-trade money. So if you fill the beer to the tap size, with the perfect head, you don't pour too much beer and you save money. It is still common to pour too much beer. You can avoid this by tapping to the tap size, which is indicated with a measurement line.
  3. Always the same beer. Knowing the tap size ensures that each beer is poured in the same way. This is especially important in the hospitality industry, where customers expect their beer to always contain the same amount, with a nice head.
  4. Professional appearance. In the hospitality industry, a correctly tapped beer with the right amount of foam looks professional and neat. A consistently tapped glass of beer inspires confidence in customers and keeps them coming back for the same experience.

What should you pay attention to when buying beer glasses?

When buying beer glasses, make sure not to confuse the two content sizes: the tap size and the total content. If you buy a beer glass with a total capacity of 30 cl, the tap size is probably around 25 cl. So don't assume you can put 30 cl of beer in this glass, but 25. If you are expecting a glass with a tap size of 30 cl, you will have to look for a beer glass with a capacity size of 35 cl or more.

 

Printed beer glasses

Want to know which beer glasses go with which types of beer? Then read it in this blog! Then we will explain it to you exactly and you will know which glasses to choose.

 

Conclusion: beer glasses have a tap size! You pour up to the tap size and the rest is foam. Hopefully we've taught you a bit more about beer glasses and beer mugs. Want to get your logo printed on beer glasses? You can! Request a quote and free digital proof now or order right away! We'll be happy to help.