Rastal claims to be the designer of the Luettich balloon glass, although Reidel also makes this style glass. I have also seen the glass referred to as the L�ttich balloon glass. Rastal was founded in 1919.
L�ttich, the German word for Liege, is the cultural centre of the Walloon region of Belgium, capital of the province of Liege. Although neither Rastal nor Reidel provide any info as to how the glass got its name, one might suppose that it was named after this beer-loving province of Belgium.
The shape of the glass allows the beer to breathe and enhances aroma. The smaller mouth concentrates the aromas to the nose, while the short stem allows the hand to warm the beer, bringing out complexity from beers that are more assertive.
