To drink or not to drink, that is the question
My collection of drinkware is well hidden within the various cabinets throughout my kitchen. Once I started pulling them out to get a better picture of the variety of glasses I have, I was a bit taken aback. There are over 20 different types of glasses, and that’s not counting any of the mugs, coffee cups and saucers, travel mugs ramblers, or any glasses that aren’t part of a pair or set.
image: (collection of glasses) personal photo
To say I have a bit of a “thing” for glassware is an understatement. Every time I end up at a place that carries interesting glassware, whether current or vintage, I have to drag myself away from the area lest I end up with another set of glasses and increasingly limited space to store them.
A collector at heart
A big part of the glassware collection has to do with the undeniable fact that I’m a collector at heart. My first collection was a rock collection, starting when I was 4 years old, quickly migrating into comic books, then trading cards.
My collection of drinkware started in earnest when I moved out of my parents house. My second year away at college, I moved into a condo that had a sizeable kitchen. Safe to say we had some parties, and while red Solo cups were most prevalent, I did start to build a small collection of unique glasses for the smaller gatherings or for when we just had a couple friends over.
There’s something about collecting things that feels natural, whether it’s rocks, comics, match books, glasses or watches. The idea of having a group of things - especially functional things - that are all similar but unique just feels right. Maybe it’s the remnant hunter-gatherer DNA in me. Since I don’t actually hunt, nor actually gather, the idea of hunting for that thing and collecting it must just be in my caveman DNA somewhere.
Different strokes for different folks
There’s something satisfying about having something different to drink from all the time. Sometimes, I like to drink wine from a grape-correct wine glass. And sometimes I like to drink wine from a small juice glass, especially when I’m making Sunday gravy.
It’s not necessarily a matter of having the “right tool for the job.” I’m not that crazy about glassware. But it is satisfying to have a Guinness from a proper pint glass, a glass of cognac from a snifter, and a glass of ice water from a highball. A $25 bottle of bourbon tastes different from the the right glass. I’m certain there’s a placebo effect, but damn if it’s not at least partially true.
Eyes on the prize
There are a lot of places to score unique glassware. The first places I’d check would be your local vintage, thrift, and antique stores. The tradeoff here is that you have to give yourself some time for discovery, and it’s pretty easy to come up empty handed. On the flip side, you could land a near-mint set of 8 platinum rimmed MCM highball glasses from the 1950’s for $30.
Most recently, I purchased 4 single “Dorset” old fashioned glasses from Williams Sonoma. I was in the store looking for a pizza oven and these were on display. I picked up two for myself and two for my parents. They’re not cheap, but they are almost perfect.
I have several Zwiesel wine glasses and Viski wine glasses, but I’ve been eying up the Zalto Denk’Art glasses. I find that the thinner the stem, the more elegant they feel in-hand. My only reluctance to purchasing these is the sheer volume at which we seem to break wine glasses.
If quirky is more your speed, Jonathan Adler has you covered. The “Arcade” glassware set has caught my eye on more than one occasion. Sophie Lou Jacobsen, Hay, Maison Balzac, and Fazeek all offer really unique takes on a glassware and are equally worth checking out.
The ultimate glass #grail is probably a pair of Baccarat tumblers of some variation, but I don’t have the fiscal fortitude to pull the trigger on those just yet.
And so…
I have glasses and coffee cups with saucers that were handed down to me by my parents from my grandparents. They look as new today as they probably did when they were first purchased. It’s a nice feeling knowing that maybe one day, my descendants a couple of generations down the line could be using the same glasses to sip their beverage of choice.
There are endless options and the innovation is put primarily into design since the function remains largely the same. This is what makes collecting glassware so enjoyable. Well, that and I get to actually use what’s in my collection.
Now that I think about it, I do have a spot in my cabinets for a new set of water glasses.