Which glass should you use for cider? Forget the “Bolée”!

Cider is often associated with the bolée, a small terracotta bowl typical of Britanny. This tradition dates back to a time when glass was rare and expensive; Bretons used ceramic vessels for their tableware, including these small bowls.

Today, bolées have become a marketing tool. They are frequently provided to crêperies by industrial cider makers to promote their brands. However, they are entirely unsuitable for an optimal cider tasting experience.

Would you ever use a bowl to drink wine???

When asked “How should one taste cider?” during a masterclass at a professional trade fair, Dominique Hutin, the wine critic for the famous French radio show “On va déguster” answered:

“Take a bolée, hold it at arm’s length at head height, and drop it! Preferably over a hard floor…”

While the image of cider in a bowl remains tied to Breton tradition, it is crucial to understand that the right glass can truly elevate the experience of tasting cider and its derivatives.

Cider: The ideal Glass?

The choice of glass plays a key role in fully appreciating cider. Much like with wine or beer, the right vessel helps you better perceive aromas, highlights effervescence, and enhances flavors.

By using a bolée, you will immediately lose the transparency of the cider’s hue. This color is the first message you receive about the apple variety, the sugar content, the potential presence of yeast, and the delicacy of the bubbles.

The second sense to engage is smell. To do this, the glass must allow you to concentrate glass must allow you to concentrate the fragrances to perceive their full subtlety.

Finally, comes the long-awaited moment for your taste buds. Here, the thiness of the glass is paramount to not aliterate how the liquid hits your palate, which can modify the flavors’ perception.

It’s for these reasons that the tulip glass is perfectly suitable for tasting ciders. Also used for wines or spirits, its large bas eases oxygenation. While its tighten col concentrates aromas and refine the perception. However, it stays rather unusual in households.

No panic, you certainly have what you need in your closets…

The white wine glass forms a perfect alternative, particularly present in the majority of households. Its lightly flared form allows to release aromas while highlighting the freshness and finesse of bubbles.

As for the champagne flute, it preserves the effervescence of cider thanks to a slender design. It showcases the elegance of bubbles and thus offers a refined tasting.

Whatever the chosen glass, it is imperative to avoid the bolée !

It doesn’t allow to fully enjoy the characteristics of the cider. It is preferable to opt for a glass made to enhance the aromas and its effervescence, if you don’t have one, a simple wine glass will already make the difference.

Kill the Bolée !