Basic ABCs: Drink Your Liquor in the Right Glasses, For Greater Enjoyment
Consumption of alcohol, has been part of human life since the dawn of civilization. Many centuries later it has acquired an elegant, classy profile. Today classic vintage goes hand in hand with ‘Fine Dining.’ Owing to consumerism and globalization, drinking is no longer confined to higher strata of society; it has permeated middle class homes too. To enjoy exotic, expensive liquor one needs to be a connoisseur, all aspects of ‘fine drinking’ must be on your fingertips. After all drinking blindly and at random exhibits bad tastes. Important to remember, enhanced aroma and right temperature are major factors that make drinking a memorable experience. Glassware for each category is fabricated keeping the crucial factors in mind. So, what type of glass for which spirit? Take a look.
Wine is regarded as the ‘ultimate’ by alcohol lovers.But. glassware for red wine is different from that used for white one. Red Wine glasses have large, round bowls, allowing drinkers to swirl the wine easily and aerate it. Long stems keep the hand away from the drink, preventing it from warming up . White wine glasses have smaller mouths and surfaces, so that wine does not oxidize too fast. Sparkling wine e.g Champagne needs even lesser surface area. This helps preserve the bubbles and stops the liquid from going flat. So , Flute glasses with tall, thin bowl and small mouths are used. Cocktail glasses are inverted cone bowls, of varying sizes. Because cocktails originally possessed interesting aromas, the large mouthed glasses allowed the drinker’s nose to touch the liquid’s surface. That way, one could enjoy both scent and taste simultaneously.Highball glasses are used to serve ‘tall’ cocktails and mixed drinks which are poured over ice. So to have a Mojito or Bloody Mary you will need highballs. Lowball glasses are short with solid bases. Capable of holding up to 6 to 8 ounces of liquid. Irish Coffee is an immensely popular beverage, classified under “Hot cocktails”. Glasses for this are heat resistant, comes with a handle, allowing the drinker easy hold of the drink. Snifter glasses have short stems. When cradled in the hand, the short stem keeps the contents warm. The large bowl allows swirling, while the shorter mouth traps aromas. Brown spirits e.g. brandy and whiskey is commonly served in snifters.
Margarita is a unique drink that comes with it distinctive glassware. Traditionally Margaritas were served in “stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass.” Now the practice has been thrown to the winds. Margaritas are now served in all kinds of drinking glasses. Martinis were originally served in cocktail glasses. During the 90’s it got transformed into a variety of vodka-based ‘tinis’. Quite naturally the serving sizes grew in size. Martini glasses have bigger bowls and cone shaped bottoms. Want your drink on the rocks? Then go for ‘Rock’ glasses. They can hold many ice cubes and yet leave room to stir the liquid within. The big opening allows you to smell the aromatics in your drink. Collins glasses are perfect for fizzy drinks. Like ‘flute’ glasses they allow bubble retention (for drinks containing soda water). They are large enough for you to pop in ice cubes. Drinks served in these glasses are valued for their tastes rather than aroma.
Desert Wine glasses are small because dessert wine is very sweet and drunk in little quantities. Its long slender stem keeps the temperature controlled. It has a small opening because people go in for its sweetness, than for aroma.
The list is virtually endless However if you follow these tips not only you will acquire a acquire a sophisticated, classy ‘aura’ but also enjoy your drink to the hilt. So Cheers!!!!
