Catalogue no. BBG068
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 Balloon A rounded, stemmed glass with a generous bowl, designed to concentrate aromas while leaving ample room for the beer's head.
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Explainers
Capacity 25cl
Manufactured 2023 Curator’s Notes There is very little restraint about this 25 cl Gulden Draak glass. Van Steenberge calls it its “dragon egg glass”, and once you know that, the extravagant design begins to make rather more sense. The large, rounded bowl forms the egg, while the extraordinary crystal-cut lower section gives the glass an almost fractured appearance. Even the stem refuses to behave itself: the form twists and shouts its way between bowl and broad, heavy foot.
The decoration is comparatively simple. A golden dragon appears to glide above the bold red Gulden Draak lettering, leaving the unusual shape of the glass to provide most of the spectacle. Look inside and there is one final detail: another dragon etched into the base of the bowl.
The dragon is more than brewery branding. Gulden Draak was created by Brouwerij Van Steenberge in 1986 as a tribute to the gilded dragon that stands above the Belfry of Ghent. The brewery traces the dragon's legend from the prow of a Viking ship to its eventual home above the city, where it has become one of Ghent's most recognisable symbols. The beer therefore has a particularly strong association with Ghent despite being brewed in Ertvelde.
Manufactured in 2023, the glass carries both 15 cl and 25 cl measures.
