Catalogue no. BBG025
Glasses
Exhibit information
Beer style Tripel A strong, pale Belgian ale traditionally associated with Trappist and abbey brewing, combining substantial strength with a relatively light appearance.
Read in Explainer
Explainers Glass style Goblet A stemmed glass with a broad bowl, traditionally associated with stronger Belgian beers, particularly Trappist and abbey ales.
Read in Explainer
Explainers
Capacity 33cl
Manufactured 2024 Curator’s Notes If you want to have a conversation about Trappist beer glasses, Westmalle is likely to enter it very quickly. This is an iconic Belgian beer glass: at first glance a gloriously oversized, chalice-like goblet; pick it up and its considerable heft becomes just as apparent.
Closer inspection rewards the attention. The branding is remarkably restrained, with the traditional Westmalle lettering accompanied by the small orange-and-white emblem and ‘Trappist’ below. Around the bowl, intricate incised decoration represents two of beer's essential ingredients: hop cones and malted grains. The decoration is tactile as well as visual, deliberately providing additional grip.
Below sits a magnificently sturdy stem, with ‘Westmalle’ embossed around its upper section, descending to a broad foot which echoes the generous proportions of the bowl. For all its considerable size and weight, the design remains elegant. To me, the glass projects confidence and heritage: it doesn't need elaborate branding to announce what it is.
The Westmalle goblet is also remarkably commonplace. It is instantly recognisable in Belgian bars and cafés, while good examples regularly appear at brocantes and flea markets. That ubiquity makes it highly collectable without necessarily making it particularly valuable. Its significance lies less in rarity than in just how thoroughly it has become part of the visual language of Belgian Trappist beer.
