• Personalized Glassware
• Personalized Beer Glasses
• Personalized Pint Glasses
• Personalized Shot Glass
• Personalized Glass

When you think about glassware, a wide variety of shapes comes to mind. The first thought is that the different shapes are for decorative purposes only, but, in fact, many of the shapes are specifically designed to enhance the enjoyment of one particular type of beverage for which they were designed. Some of these are obvious while others take a little more research.

A champagne flute, of course, is designed for champagne. Champagne is also known “bubbly” because when it is uncorked and the pressure in the bottle is released, dissolved carbon dioxide in the champagne forms tiny bubbles that rise to the surface. The tall thin shape of the champagne flute is designed to highlight the rising bubbles, and slow their ascent to the surface of the glass.

The long stem of wine glasses and champagne flutes are designed as handles to keep the warmth from your hand from warming the liquid inside the glass. As any wine aficionado will tell you, wines should be served at very specific temperatures. Red wines should be served at 55 degrees, whites at 45-50 degrees, and champagne at 40-45 degrees. If the glass were to be held with hand wrapped around the bowl of the glass, your body heat would quickly warm the contents of the glass beyond its target range.

The brandy snifter has a very wide bowl that tapers to a narrower opening at the top. This shape is designed to allow as much of the contents as possible to come into contact with the air, releasing its aroma into the glass. The narrow top opening helps to trap and concentrate the odor inside the glass so that the aroma can better be appreciated by the drinker.

The classic German beer stein has a lid that was added just after the bubonic plague ravaged Europe and officials sought to reduce disease by keeping insects out of food and drink being served outdoors during the annual Oktoberfest celebrations. Of course, once celebrants got into the full swing of the party, the lid also served the useful purpose of reducing spillage. A handy thumb lever was added to that the stein could be held and easily opened with the same hand.

The shot glass is used as a standard measure for adding specific amounts of alcoholic beverages to mixed drinks. It holds 1.5 ounces of liquid. Oddly enough though, different countries around the world have different standardized sizes for shot glasses. On the short side of the scale are South African and Germany at 20 milliliters while Russia, Poland and a handful of others use a 50 milliliter shot glass. For reference, the USA’s 1.5 ounces is equal to about 44 milliliters.

These are just a few examples, but the next time you see an odd shaped glass, try to think about the reasons behind the shape.