What is a glass, how it might look and what is it for

On weekdays, we often limit ourselves to simple dishes: we eat from plates, drink from glasses and mugs. However, on special occasions, “festive” dishes, including glasses, appear on the table.

Glass - what is it?

This is usually the name of a drinking vessel, which is a bowl, almost always on a leg. The latter ends at the bottom with a stable base.

What is being poured into it?

It is most often used for drinking hard or low alcohol drinks, such as:

• cognac;
• whiskey;
• Martini;
• wine, including champagne;
• cocktails.

What does it look like and what can it be made of?

The appearance can vary from its size to the thickness of the bowl walls.

The most "popular" material is glass, less often - crystal. Gourmets believe that you need to enjoy not only the taste, but also the color of the drink. That is why transparent material is a priority. Although on sale you can find exclusive specimens made of metal or stone.

The shape of the bowl may resemble:

• elongated cylinder;
• pear;
• ball;
• cone;
• Tulip;
• bowl.

The leg is both high and short. The first corresponds to vessels for wine, which are usually chilled before serving. It eliminates the contact of a warm hand with the walls of the bowl and thus allows you to keep the temperature of the drink longer.

How the choice of glass is related to the culture of drinking

A vessel of a certain configuration is intended for each drink, which most correctly and fully reveals its taste.

Wine glasses

Sparkling wine, such as champagne, contains many air bubbles. A small, tall and narrow glass with vertical thin walls is intended for it. This is the only way the contact of bubbles with air on the surface is minimized, and the drink does not "fizzle out" longer. Those who are not used to savoring, waiting for the aromatic bouquet to unfold and do not like bubbles, can use a tall glass -bowl.

White wine is well cooled before serving, its temperature ranges from 7 to 14˚. It corresponds to a glass with a small U-shaped bowl of no more than 200 ml in volume. This keeps the aroma and coolness. Young wine is poured into a slightly wider container to make the delicate taste and sweetness feel fuller. For aged, the bowl is chosen a little higher and narrower so that the drink first hits the base of the tongue. The bowl is about 3/4 full.

It is recommended to drink red wine at room temperature, about 18˚. Glasses for him are larger and wider, especially in the center of the bowl. However, they are filled no more than half so that the pronounced aroma does not "hit" the nose, but gently affects the olfactory receptors. There are two types of red wine glasses:

• Burgundy - it is higher - for semi-sweet and sparkling wines, such as Pinot Noir and Beaujolais;
• Bordeaux - it is wider and "squat" - for heavy ones, such as Cabernet and Cahors.

"Tara" for stronger drinks and some cocktails

There is a rule: the stronger the alcohol, the smaller the bowl, which is often called a glass, it is poured.

Cognac glasses are called snifters. They are distinguished by a low stem and a small spherical bowl, narrowed upwards. It is filled with a drink at room temperature only a quarter (sometimes - half, but no more). Only in this way will his "bouquet" be fully revealed.

Whiskey glassware is as varied as its varieties. Varieties that accompany only a pure, undiluted taste - a glass -tulip or a glass-nozing. The bowl is shaped like a drop-down tulip, and the leg of the latter is practically absent.

Martini (vermouth) is "not threatened" by a quick loss of taste and aroma when it comes into contact with air. It is served in a small cone glass with a thin stem, which allows you to maximize its taste. This design also helps to keep the drink cool.

Pina Colada and other tropical cocktails are served in glasses harricane, with a capacity from 400 to 800 ml. Its shape resembles a flower opening at the top, and the leg is low and rather thick.

One of the most original forms of the container for alcoholic beverages based on tequila, first of all - "Margarita". Its bowl consists of two parts, smoothly flowing into each other. At the bottom it is as narrow as a glass, at the top it is wide.

There are a lot of varieties of glasses, like drinks, and it is easy to get confused in them. Therefore, summing up, you can omit some of the subtleties and focus on the main thing. The most voluminous and widest glasses are intended for red wines. Elongated and narrow wine glasses on a high stem are suitable for white and sparkling wine. For young, weak alcohol, it is desirable to expand the bowl upward, and for aged alcohol, vice versa.

Having remembered at least these general rules, you will not have to “rack your brains” for a long time when buying dishes for your favorite wine or cocktail. And a good choice, made in accordance with the type, strength and age of the drink, will allow you to enjoy the whole gamut of its tastes and aromas.