Endless stemware and glassware options ever get
you confused? Our fool proof guide to choosing the right glass for your
drink on
With
the explosion of cocktail bars, mixologists, and craft beer breweries,
drinks are arriving in more variations of glassware than ever. While the
choice may seem arbitrary, the varying styles developed to showcase
certain types of drinks is undeniable. Much like red and white wine are
best served in different glasses, cocktails and even beers are best in
glasses developed especially for a certain purpose. College bars may
serve all beers in the ubiquitous pint glass, which is great for a lager
or ale, but a wider variety remains. Pilsner glasses, like the one we
selected, are ideal for pilsner, as well as lagers. Wiezen glasses are
similar to pilsners but developed for wheat beers while Belgian-style
beers are often served in goblets.
Straight liquors are served in small glasses of various shapes, depending on the type of liquor, such as whiskey or cognac. The shapes are intended to hold the aroma for the enjoyment of the sipper. The original cocktail glass was the ‘coupe’ glass, which was also traditionally used for champagne as well. Today champagne is more commonly served in a narrow flute that helps preserve and showcase the bubbles, though the coupe is back in vogue.
As cocktails evolved, a wider set of barware also grew to accommodate different drinks. Most famous perhaps is the martini glass, developed for the gin and vermouth classic in the 1920s. (Legend has it the wide rim made it easy to toss- or toss back- a drink if the speakeasy was raided by law enforcement.) The cone shape prevents the ingredients from separating while the stem keeps the drink cool, much like the stem of a wine glass. The larger surface area also helps ‘open’ the drink, releasing the aroma of the gin. A ‘martini glass’ now signifies a certain shape of glass, leading bars to frequently add -tini to the end of cocktails they plan to serve in this style of glass. Appletini, anyone?
Avid collectors of vintage barware may understand why the three martini lunch of Mad Men days was feasible, if still not practical, for a workday. Average cocktail glasses in the 1950’s and 60’s held about 3 to 4oz of liquor in comparison to the behemoths on sale today. For a cocktail served ‘up’ this helps the drink stay chilled while you sip, one more reason to check out your local flea market for some distinctive glasses to add to your collection.
Another recognizable cocktail glass is the margarita glass. It is often a larger size to hold a frozen blended drink with a large edge ready for a salt rim. Now the most popular tequila cocktail in the United States, the origin of the margarita is disputed. One possible theory is that it was a variation on the popular brandy-based ‘Daisy,’ merely substituting tequila for the brandy during the Prohibition. (Daisy in Spanish is Margarita.)
Drinks served ‘on the rocks,’ meaning with ice, do not need stemware to stay cool. The style of glass used typically depends on the amount of alcohol to other liquid ratio. The old-fashioned glass, named after a drink consisting mostly of whiskey, is a smaller 8 oz tumbler style glass. A Collins glass, a taller narrow glass, was also named after a drink, the Tom Collins.
From: Ruedaily/ Posted by Mags
Straight liquors are served in small glasses of various shapes, depending on the type of liquor, such as whiskey or cognac. The shapes are intended to hold the aroma for the enjoyment of the sipper. The original cocktail glass was the ‘coupe’ glass, which was also traditionally used for champagne as well. Today champagne is more commonly served in a narrow flute that helps preserve and showcase the bubbles, though the coupe is back in vogue.
As cocktails evolved, a wider set of barware also grew to accommodate different drinks. Most famous perhaps is the martini glass, developed for the gin and vermouth classic in the 1920s. (Legend has it the wide rim made it easy to toss- or toss back- a drink if the speakeasy was raided by law enforcement.) The cone shape prevents the ingredients from separating while the stem keeps the drink cool, much like the stem of a wine glass. The larger surface area also helps ‘open’ the drink, releasing the aroma of the gin. A ‘martini glass’ now signifies a certain shape of glass, leading bars to frequently add -tini to the end of cocktails they plan to serve in this style of glass. Appletini, anyone?
Avid collectors of vintage barware may understand why the three martini lunch of Mad Men days was feasible, if still not practical, for a workday. Average cocktail glasses in the 1950’s and 60’s held about 3 to 4oz of liquor in comparison to the behemoths on sale today. For a cocktail served ‘up’ this helps the drink stay chilled while you sip, one more reason to check out your local flea market for some distinctive glasses to add to your collection.
Another recognizable cocktail glass is the margarita glass. It is often a larger size to hold a frozen blended drink with a large edge ready for a salt rim. Now the most popular tequila cocktail in the United States, the origin of the margarita is disputed. One possible theory is that it was a variation on the popular brandy-based ‘Daisy,’ merely substituting tequila for the brandy during the Prohibition. (Daisy in Spanish is Margarita.)
Drinks served ‘on the rocks,’ meaning with ice, do not need stemware to stay cool. The style of glass used typically depends on the amount of alcohol to other liquid ratio. The old-fashioned glass, named after a drink consisting mostly of whiskey, is a smaller 8 oz tumbler style glass. A Collins glass, a taller narrow glass, was also named after a drink, the Tom Collins.
From: Ruedaily/ Posted by Mags
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