Catalogue no. BBG026
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.
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Explainers Glass style Goblet A stemmed glass with a broad bowl, traditionally associated with stronger Belgian beers, particularly Trappist and abbey ales.
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Explainers Curator’s Notes A rather enigmatic Westmalle glass, carrying only the words Trappistenbier and the abbey’s distinctive AW monogram. Westmalle has a long history of using this relatively generic form of Trappist branding: surviving glasses from the 1920s and 1930s similarly carried the AW mark without prominently naming Westmalle.
This example is a substantial goblet with a broad bowl, long plain stem and silver-coloured rim. The most distinctive feature is the moulded glasswork around the lower bowl, where a series of raised, frond-like forms provide decoration and catch the light. They might suggest leaves or brewing ingredients, although there is no evidence that this was the intention.
There are no capacity, manufacturer or date markings, so I have resisted trying to date it. The glass originally entered the collection with its identity uncertain; recognising the AW monogram eventually gave it a home at Westmalle.
Bought at the Marolles flea market for a rather ambitious €4, despite my having little idea what it actually was. At the time, I was determined not to add a Westmalle glass to the collection until I had visited the abbey. It turns out I had already bought one without realising it. I now have two and still haven't visited the abbey.
