L.S.A. Gems

The size is the same across all three sets: 56 cl per tumbler. That is generous, and deliberately so. It holds a lot of ice, which keeps your drink cold for longer, and an ordinary long drink does not fill the glass to the rim. If that feels too large for water at the table, this is not the range for you.

The difference lies in the colour. Assorted green runs from an almost transparent moss to deep bottle green and works on a wooden table. Assorted amber goes from pale honey to warm brown and sits well with whisky and dark drinks. Assorted pink is the softest of the three and suits light cocktails.

A 56 cl tumbler calls for ice right to the rim. Fill the glass first, then pour, and keep the drink-to-mixer ratio at around one to three. A gin and tonic with plenty of ice and a peel works well in this format, and the amber set is the logical choice for a Negroni over one large cube.

If you’re serving alcohol-free drinks, the space is an advantage: there’s room for plenty of ice and lots of fresh fruit. Mix the four shades together on the table rather than arranging them in order, so the color difference stands out most clearly.

Mouth-blown glass is thinner and less uniform than machine-made glass, and that calls for hand washing. L.S.A. does not make the Gems for the dishwasher: the combination of heat, rinse aid and glasses knocking against each other is exactly what thin blown glass fails under.

Wash them in lukewarm soapy water, rinse with clean water and dry with a linen cloth while the glass is still warm; that way no streaks are left behind. Small air bubbles and a slight irregularity in shape come with the technique and are not a defect.

Looking for more from this brand? You’ll find the complete range at L.S.A.. If you prefer to compare by color rather than by brand, take a look at the colored glasses, where the smoked, blue, and green series are grouped together. For the same shape in clear glass, see the tumbler glasses, and if a 56 cl tumbler isn’t right for you, the whisky glasses offer a smaller alternative.