Bormioli Rocco Caravelle

Here, size determines use more than shape does. The 5 cl shot glass is the classic size for genever, liqueur, or a shot. The 10 cl tumbler is a juice glass or a small water glass for children. At 15.5 cl, you have the right size for juice and soft drinks at breakfast; at 20 cl, the standard water glass at the table; and at 25 cl, the glass that can hold both ice cubes and a soft drink. Anyone starting a cupboard from scratch will go a long way with twelve 20 cl glasses and six 25 cl glasses. Alongside this series are the wider water glasses and tumbler glasses.

A tumbler with a sturdy base withstands ice without clinking and remains stable on a tray. Fill a 25 cl glass with ice to above halfway before adding soft drink: plenty of ice chills faster and melts more slowly than little ice, so the drink actually becomes less diluted. Fill the 5 cl shot glass of jenever to the brim, and take the first sip with your hands behind your back, straight from the table. Recipes for that hour can be found under the kopstoot and under the shots.

The Caravelle is thick-walled lime glass, with most of its mass in the base, making it suitable for daily use. The series is dishwasher-safe on a normal cycle. Its greatest enemy is not heat but stacking: glasses that are wedged together break when pulled apart. Place them loosely next to each other in the rack and let them dry upright. Remove limescale from the base with vinegar and a glass brush.

If you want glasses that fit inside one another to save cupboard space, take a look at the stackable glasses. For drinks and snacks on their own, there is the category aperitif glasses, with capacities of approximately 3.5 to 6 cl. And if you want to see the full Italian range side by side, you’ll find it at Bormioli Rocco. If you’re specifically looking for tempered glass that can survive a fall onto a tiled floor, the French brands set the standard in this area.