Glass-wares are classified into 3 categories based on their shapes and uses. Basic knowledge of these glass-wares is important before delving into serving wines. These are etiquettes that every wine-enthusiast should know. You cannot serve wines in glassware meant for beer and wise versa.
Every glass has a slightly different shape, depending upon the type of drink that particular glass is to be used for.
All these glasses are shaped in a way that will direct the drink to the part of your mouth where its flavor will be most appreciated.
The bowls of all glasses are tapered upwards with a slightly narrower opening at the top than at the bottom. This shape helps to capture and distribute the aroma towards your mouth and nose.
Glass-wares are basically categorized into 3 types Tumblers, Beer Glass-wares and Stem-wares according to their shape and drinks that are poured into them.
Types and Description of Glass-wares
1. Tumblers: A tumbler is a flat-bottomed beverage container for drinking made of plastic, glass or fiber glass. These are again sub-categorized into sub-categories.
Collins glass
For a tall mixed drink
Dizzy Cocktail glass
A glass with a wide, shallow bowl, comparable to a normal Cocktail glass but without the stem
Highball glass
For mixed drinks
Iced tea glass
Juice glass
For fruit juices and vegetable juices.
Old Fashioned glass
usually used for liquor “on the rocks”.
Shot glass
A small glass for up to four ounces of liquor, has a thicker base and sides than the older whiskey glass
Table-glass
Water glass
Whiskey tumbler
2. Beer Glassware: Glassware that is designed specifically so that heat from the drinker’s hands doesn’t warm the beer. They differ in different countries based on their customs or national legacies.
Basically they are divided into 7 sub-categories.
Beer-stein:
Beer-wares that are made of stone-ware or earthenware are Beer-steins. They may have open tops or hinged pewterlids with a thumb-lever.
Pilsner Glass:
A pilsner glass is used for many types of light beers. They are tall, slender and tapered.
Pint Glass:
These beer-wares are used to serve either 20 imperial fluid ounces (UK) or about 16 US fluid ounces.
Pony Glass:
Tankard:
A tankard is a form of drink-ware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle. Generally, made up of wood, silver or pewter.
Wheat-Beer Glass:
A weizen glass is used to serve wheat beer. Glass is narrow at the bottom and slightly wider at the top to provide room for the often thick, fluffy foam produced by wheat beer.
Yard Glass:
A yard of ale or yard glass is a very tall glass used for drinking around 2.5 imperial pints (1.42 l) of beer. They are generally used during traditional pub games.
3. Stemware:
Stemware is the glassware that has a connecting stem to connect the bowl and the foot of the glassware. They are used to drink champagnes, cocktails and wines.
They generally have 4 parts- Foot, Stem, Bowl and a Rim.
They are basically divided into 11 sub-categories. They are as follows.
Absin the Glass:
Chalice:
Champagne coupe:
The champagne coupe or champagne saucer is a shallow, broad-bowled, stemmed glass, commonly used at wedding receptions, often stacked in layers to build a champagne tower
Cocktail Glass:
Stemmed glass with an inverted cone bowl.
Glencairn Whisky Glass:
A style of glass developed by Glencairn Crystal Ltd, Scotland for drinking whisky. It was given Queen’s Award in 2006 for Innovation.
Hurricane Glass:
Contains around 20 Fluid ounces, about 660ml. Used to serve mixed drinks.
Margarita Glass:
A variant of the classic champagne coupe, used to serve Fruit Margaritas.
Sherry Glasses:
A sherry glass is drinkware generally used for serving aromatic alcoholic beverages, such as sherry, port, aperitifs, and liqueurs, and layered shooters. The copita, with its aroma-enhancing narrow taper, is a type of sherry glass.
Snifter:
A snifter (also called brandy snifter, cognac glass, or balloon) is a type of stemware, a short-stemmed glass whose vessel has a wide bottom and a relatively narrow top. It is mostly used to serve aged brown spirits such as bourbon, brandy, and whisky.
Wine Glasses:
Glass stemware that is used to drink wine. Selection of a particular wine glass for a wine style is important, as the glass shape can influence its perception.
These are again sub-categorized into Red Wine glasses, White wine glasses, sparkling wine glasses and Dessert wine glasses.
There you go. . . These are the different types of glass-wares used to serve various drinks.
Having this basic knowledge is very important to serve the right type of drink in the glass intended for that particular drink.
By: Archa Dave
