Catalogue no. BBG101
Glasses
Exhibit information
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
Capacity 33cl
Manufactured 2015 Curator’s Notes This unusual Stella Artois glass sits slightly outside the usual language of Belgian beer glassware. Designed for Stella Cidre rather than the brewery’s classic pilsner, it shares familiar Stella design elements while developing a character of its own. The stem retains the intricate Stella detailing but is more compact, while the broader lower bowl narrows elegantly towards the gold-rimmed opening.
The branding reflects its different purpose: the familiar Stella Artois identity remains, but “Cidre” takes prominence, accompanied by the description “Belgian recipe”. A subtle etched emblem, resembling an eight-pointed star or snowflake, is hidden within the bowl and rewards closer inspection.
This glass represents a short-lived chapter in Stella Artois’s history: an attempt to extend one of Belgium’s best-known beer brands into the cider market. The drink itself is no longer available, but the glass remains as an interesting design object and a reminder that even the most established brands experiment, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.
