Why is the bottom of your pilsner glass ribbed?

That textured, ribbed section towards the bottom of some pilsner glasses isn't just decoration. It helps to:

• Give you a better grip — particularly when condensation makes a cold glass slippery.

• Keep your beer colder — the ribs provide a natural place to hold the glass without wrapping your hand around it and transferring as much heat to the beer.

You'll sometimes see claims that the ribs help release carbon dioxide. We haven't found convincing evidence for that. That's a different trick, usually performed by nucleation marks etched inside the glass.

In other words, the glass is literally ribbed for your pleasure.