Are different style bottles more appropriate for different style beers?

Question

While I feel pretty confident that the style of bottle doesn't matter too much with respect to how a given beer is conditioned, I was wondering if there were any good guidelines for choosing different bottle styles with respect to the style of beer going into it?

For example, I'd feel perfectly comfortable putting a strong IPA into a standard 22 oz. capped bottle; but is there something that "makes more sense" for a stout? or what style of beer makes sense to put into a 1 liter Grölsch-style flip-top?

Answer 1

The only consideration that comes into bottle choice really is serving size and glass strength due to carbonation levels. (Some highly carbonated styles see thicker glass for safety reasons.)

Then there is bottles that will accept corks. Across all the different styles I've encountered in corked bottles I can't say its specific to any style. Again you see it mostly with higher carbed beers and specialty barrel aged or soured products. Corking is largely cosmetic though.

All that being said, there are no real trends in packaging beer based upon style. Most beer should be poured into a glass for consumption making the package irrelevant.

Not sure how this really relates to homebrewing, but that's my answer anyway.

Answer 2

A small consideration would be cost. Having your quaffing beer in champagne bottles with real cork and fancy cages would be a waste of time. But doing this to your special quad would be very acceptable.

Answer 3

IPAs and other hop focused styles can be affected by the packaging. It is reported that the type of bottle cap used will scavenge either malt or hop aromas, so you must use the correct one. All bottle caps over time will let some oxidation occur, so that will kill an IPA. Where inturn a can will not allow any oxidation of the beer, so the IPA stands up better. Then conversely, beers that you want the oxidation to occur in like your RIS and English BWs do better in bottles. For flip tops I would recommend a beer that will stand up to the oxidation if you have any plans just to have some and then put it back away.