The art of etiquette is complex, for some it seems incomprehensible, but at the same time it is very interesting and fascinating. Surprisingly, many modern people are familiar with the most basic rules of etiquette and in high society do not strive to drink wine from a cognac glass or shot glass. But still, there are many varieties of glassware for various drinks and even the most advanced person can easily get confused, let alone ordinary people. In today's article, we will talk in detail about all the intricacies of glasses for alcohol, their origin and even popular brands of glassware.
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How glasses came into being
It is interesting that the inhabitants of ancient Greece and Rome did not use glasses at all, but the ancient Egyptians often drank wine from them. Glass glasses appeared in Europe in the fifteenth century AD thanks to Venetian glassblowers from the island of Murano, their design was very simple: a small bowl on a glass stem. Such dishes quickly acquired an aesthetic appearance and flew around different countries like hot cakes.
Each European country had its own authentic culture and brought something of its own to this element of tableware. For example, monograms, ornaments, religious images. It is reliably known that jewelry craftsmanship was widely popular in the German states, so the fact that glass goblets were inlaid with precious stones will not surprise anyone. Goblets came to our country from the "window to Europe" along with other numerous reforms of Peter the Great. Then they were called "pokals" in the German dialect.
What materials are glasses made of?
It is generally accepted that drinkware is made only of glass, or at least crystal. But in fact, this is far from true, and in some bars you can find glasses made of non-traditional materials. Metalware seems to immerse a person in a medieval atmosphere, you can imagine that you are drinking wine from a real cup. Stone drinkware looks stylish and beautiful, brings a sense of luxury and prosperity to the interior of the room, they are not the most practical, heavy, and it is not very convenient to drink from them. So products made of turquoise, jasper, malachite and quartz will be an excellent decoration for a bar or kitchen, rather than a table.
The prices of unusual tableware are determined by the rarity of the materials, the quality of production, the complexity of the design and shape. In elite beer bars, you can find wooden mugs with steel rivets. It looks very beautiful and authentic. Metal glasses are usually sold individually or in pairs, while entire sets are made to order and, accordingly, are much more expensive.
What are the names of glasses for different drinks?
There is a glass for every drink, and every glass has its own name:
- Wine glasses are used for white and red wines.
- Sparkling wines, champagne and some types of cocktails are traditionally served in wine glasses.
- Liqueurs, vodka, absinthe, sherry and vermouth are drunk from shot glasses.
- Mugs are used for beer.
Champagne glasses
Champagne is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks. It is drunk on New Year's and birthdays. It can often be seen at social events and meetings of old friends. Champagne is usually served in special glasses - goblets. They, in turn, are divided into several types.
Let's look at these points in more detail:
- Flute. This type of glassware has a much more romantic and understandable name: a flute glass or a flute goblet. This elongated form of glassware for sparkling wine is considered classic and the most common. The flute should be very well chilled before serving the drink. Preferably, until frost forms on the glass walls of the glass.
Interesting fact: since the "flute" has been used for several centuries, it has been noted that this shape promotes the appearance of more active and obvious gas bubbles in the liquid and their beautiful rise to the surface. And it is for this quality that champagne is valued.
- Cup. This type of champagne also has a second name, but less romantic and refined: goblet-cup. Such a cup for champagne or any other sparkling wine has a very wide neck. This means that the evaporation area of the gas bubbles is much larger and in a few minutes there will be practically nothing left of them. A cup or goblet is suitable for those people who get drunk quickly and want to delay this moment. The cup became very popular in the thirties and forties of the last century.
- The tulip has an elegant appearance. It is much less common than the "flute" and even less so than the "cup". This is due to the fact that it is used only by those people who truly appreciate and love champagne and sparkling white wines with great and warm love. The "tulip" is similar in shape to the "flute", but has a larger volume. The bowl widens toward the center and narrows slightly in diameter toward the edges, like a tulip flower that has very little time left before it fully blooms and opens its bud. The small area of contact with the air allows you to keep the playful bubbles as long as possible and collect all the aromas into one, while the alcohol vapors do not hit your nose. In addition to this, it can be noted that the taste of the drink gets to the right parts of the tongue and is evenly distributed over it.
To sum it up: tulip-shaped glasses should be chosen if your menu often includes premium sparkling wines of the highest grades; for the mid-price category, classic flutes are also suitable.
Types of glasses for red and white wine
True wine connoisseurs know that each type of this noble drink requires a separate type of glassware.
Advice! When choosing a wine glass, you should follow the rule: the average cost of one glass from the set should be equal to the cost of the bottle of wine you will drink.
It is hard to believe, but the taste, aroma and even the color of the wine will directly depend on the shape, size of the glass and what glass it was made of. It will be very easy to verify this by simply tasting the wine from the same bottle, pouring it, for example, into a coffee mug or a shot glass. The taste of the drink from a shot glass will be very different from its taste from a special glass.
The main parameter that influences the choice of dishes is the type of wine itself. If you are a real professional, then in your arsenal there will probably be nine or ten different sets. But for ordinary people it will be enough to have only two sets:
- Red wine glasses, in turn, come in two types: "Bordeaux" and "Burgundy". The first type is the most common, as it is suitable for many varieties of red wine: "Beaujolais", "Dolcetto", "Sangiovese". The bowl of the glass should have a volume of more than six hundred milliliters, otherwise you risk losing the aroma and full flavor bouquet of some rich red wines. "Burgundy" will be ideal for wines with a high level of acidity and moderately expressed tannins. For example, "Pinot Noir", "Barolo", "Barbaresco". The volume of this type of glassware is larger: seven hundred milliliters and above.
- White wine glasses are very similar in shape to Bordeaux glasses, but their volume is almost half that of a glass. It is advisable to drink white wines chilled, and such a container is able to maintain the optimal temperature due to the fact that the drink is drunk much faster from a small glass and does not have time to warm up to the temperature of the palm or the room.
Cognac glass
Cognac is one of the most stately intoxicating drinks. It is usually drunk by rough and strong men, romantics with elements of a noble nature. But fragile women are also not alien to the tart taste of cognac. Noble ladies prefer to enjoy alcohol from an elegant glass with engravings and beautiful ornaments. The shape of a classic cognac glass is often compared to a tulip bud, which is gracefully located on a short but stable stem.
Important! Please note that according to etiquette rules, you cannot fill the glass to the very edge. Usually, the drink fills the container only a quarter. Then, lightly twirl and spin the glass with your hand. This is done to fill the drink with oxygen and at the same time disperse the heady aroma of strong cognac.
The material from which classic glasses are usually made is thin glass or even crystal. It is clear that crystal glassware will be much better quality and more luxurious, but it will also cost many times more than cheap glass.
Please note! A cognac glass with a personalized engraving will be a great gift for any occasion for lovers of strong but noble drinks.
Types of Whiskey Vessels
Good whiskey is served in old-fashioned glasses, the volume of which varies from 180 to 320 milliliters. Interestingly, such glasses were popular for any strong drinks served with ice. And this is not surprising: despite their seemingly small size, whiskey glasses are quite capacious.
Liquor vessels
As mentioned above, liqueurs are usually served in shot glasses. A classic liqueur shot glass is a forty-sixty milliliter cup on a thin, long stem. In such a vessel, liqueur is usually served neat, without diluting it with coffee or tea.
Important! Please note that liqueur is usually served neither before nor during, but immediately after a hearty meal.
Beer glasses
Glasses or, to be more precise, beer mugs are distinguished by their large height and diameter expanding towards the center. It, like a whiskey glass, simply must have fairly thick walls to keep the cold of the drink, because beer should be served chilled. The volume of such a mug is impressive, up to a thousand milliliters. Also, such dishes are equipped with a convenient large handle for easy drinking of an alcoholic beverage.
Glassware for alcoholic cocktails
In modern bars, bartenders can offer their customers a wide range of delicious alcoholic cocktails. Therefore, the following types of glasses are required behind the bar:
- A small glass with straight walls, a "shot", is more like a shot glass. The only difference is the thick, thick bottom. Such a "shot glass" has small volumes: about forty to sixty milliliters. Such glassware is intended for strong alcohol subject to strong cooling. Most often, "shots" contain undiluted alcohol. But some layered cocktails are also served in such glasses, but only if they are designed for one big sip.
- A highball is a tall glass, the volume of which is approximately 150-300 milliliters. The walls of such a vessel are thickened, as is the bottom. The diameter of the glass widens towards the neck. Most often, water, some non-alcoholic drinks and some alcoholic drinks are served in such a glass.
- Collins is a tall glass, similar in appearance to a highball, but has a much larger capacity: approximately 240-340 milliliters. Such glasses are intended for strong alcoholic drinks that are mixed with soda and ice.
For martini
A martini glass is a bowl shaped like a triangle with a wide neck. The stem of such a glass is thin. Thanks to this, the cocktail does not heat up too much.
VIDEO: Types of glasses for alcoholic drinks.
50 photos of glasses for different types of alcoholic drinks:
