It is not uncommon for people to rethink their choice of glasses when moving homes. After all, what purpose do your plain old glasses serve in your swanky new German kitchen? Having moved to a new house, a lot of people usually modify their utensils to match the home and represent their new standing in life – glassware is a subtle and powerful way to do that.
Every type of glass has an individual identity, and your guests will (whether they know it or not) make judgments about you based on the glasses you use to serve them.
Now, you may ask, why the difference?
The craft of glassware has evolved in order to make different drinks look and taste better. The function of the glass serves two purposes: to enhance aromas and correct temperatures. These are two key factors in an enjoyable drinking experience. Different-shaped glasses bring out different aspects of the drink. The cone shape serves to help maintain temperature, keep the ingredients pushed together, and provides a nice large surface area for aroma. The long stem helps to control the temperature of your drink, and other design elements may have an effect on taste or help hold the glass comfortably.
Types of Glasses
Here is a guide to show you the correct type glassware to use for each drink:
1. Highball Glass/Collins Glass
This is the most common type of glass. It is used to serve everything from water to juice, tall cocktails, and other mixed drinks that contain more mixer than alcohol, and/or are poured over ice. e.g. Mojito, gin and tonic.
2. Wine Glass
Wine glasses are fairly common. They come in two types: red wine glasses and white wine glasses. As the names suggest, they are used to serve the associated drink.
The red wine glass is taller than the white wine glass, as it allows the flavour and aroma of the wine to soar from the glass. White wine glasses are generally smaller to help preserve the wine’s aroma and maintain a cool temperature.
3. Flute/Champagne Glass
Flutes are used to serve champagne or sparkling wine. The tall stem prevents your hands from warming the drink, while the thin bowl and small mouth help gather the aroma to the nose, preserve the bubbles, and prevent the champagne from going flat too quickly.
4. Beer glass
Beer glasses come in various shapes and configurations. They can have both wide tops or bottoms, they can be a mug, or handleless glass. A wide mouth or mug is made for gulps of low-alcohol session beer, white, the smaller-mouthed counterparts force smaller, more concentrated sips.
5. Cocktail glass
It has a long stem and an inverted cone or bowl and is primarily used for serving cocktails. It is shorter and more rounded than a martini glass, with a shorter stem and narrower rim.
6. Martini glass
Martini glasses resemble cocktail glasses, but they differ by having a larger bowl and having fully conical bottoms. Since they cannot accommodate ice, they have long stems to help control the temperature of your drink.
7. Rocks glass/lowball glass
A short glass with a solid base. It can be used to serve your drink “on the rocks” hence its name. It is used to serve cocktails that have more alcohol than the mixer. It can accommodate large ice cubes and provides lots of room to stir.
8. Snifter
This glass has a very short stem which is supposed to be cradled in the hand, helping warm the drink it contains. It’s mostly used for Brandy, Cognac, Bourbon, or even whiskey.
9. Hurricane glass
This is a lamp-shaped glass used to drink a hurricane cocktail, which is a bright red drink garnished with orange slices and cherries.
10. Irish coffee glass
This is a heat-resistant glass with an attached handle for easier holding. It is used to serve hot toddies and other hot cocktails.
11. Margarita glass/coupe glass
Normally used to serve Margaritas, it has two bowls one that is narrower at the bottom.
MOVING GLASSES
Since glasses are very fragile, great care has to be taken when moving them to avoid breakages. At Nellions™, we usually wrap all glassware and fine china in multiple layers of newsprint (white paper) before packing.
Packing/Handling:
For stemmed glasses, the stem is usually the most vulnerable point of breakage. We usually start by wrapping the stem with newsprint or bubble wrap until it is the same width as the bowl of the glass, then proceed to wrap the entire glass with newsprint before packing.
When packing, the wrapped glasses are packed closely together with as little space between them as possible to prevent them from dancing about the moving box/crate during transit.
STORING GLASSES
When shelving glasses, great care has to be taken in order to avoid breakage later when they’re needed. In the most basic arrangements, glasses are arranged according to the frequency of use, with the most commonly used glasses placed where they’re easily accessible (like on the front row of lower shelves), and the less used ones can go behind them or on higher shelves.
Size is another important consideration. Typically, bigger glasses start at the back of the shelf, with smaller glasses placed in front of them in order of size. However, size often tends to conflict with frequency of use, so when arranging your own glasses, pick a system, and stick to it.
Most glasses are shelved facing down, as this makes them easily reachable and prevents the accumulation of dust. But it’s not always the case. Remember, the rim is also one of the most delicate parts of a glass, so when it comes to glasses made of crystal or other fragile materials, right-side-up is the safe way to go. The protocol for stemmed glasses also varies depending on the size and weight of the bowl vis a vis the stability of the base. For example, margarita glasses, cocktail glasses, and martini glasses usually have sturdy bases, so they can be shelved in an upright position. If you have a lot of stemmed glasses, consider getting a wine glass rack to ease the problem of storing them.
As highlighted above, there are different types of glasses for use for each drink. These differences help to preserve the taste and aroma of each drink. Keep these pointers in mind when you’re shopping for new glassware.
PS: Remember to hydrate.
