Schott Zwiesel Stage

Start with what you pour. The 44 cl longdrink glass leaves room for ice plus a generous splash of tonic, so the balance between spirit and mixer works out without filling the glass to the brim. The 36.4 cl whisky glass is wider and lower: enough volume for a large ice cube alongside the drink. The 7.8 cl shot glass stays within the size that keeps a shot or a liqueur at temperature. Look at the quantities too: the individual models come in fours, while the complete set brings you to seventeen glasses in one go.

Fill the longdrink glass right up with ice first and only then pour, because cold ice melts more slowly and dilutes your drink less. That keeps a gin and tonic crisp to the last sip. The whisky glass is meant for whisky neat or on the rocks, but works just as well for an old fashioned, where you stir the drink straight over a single large ice cube. Use the shot glass for jenever, herbal bitters or chilled liqueur, poured to just below the rim and served straight away.

Stage is made from Tritan crystal glass, the material Schott Zwiesel uses to make its glasses resistant to chipping at the rim and to clouding in the dishwasher. So you can simply put these glasses in the machine. Do place them apart from one another, so the rims don't knock together during the cycle. Limescale streaks come from hard water rather than from the glass itself: rinsing afterwards and drying immediately with a linen cloth keeps the shine.

Looking for more from this house? The full range is with the Schott Zwiesel glasses. If you want to top up a single size, take a look at the longdrink glasses, the shot glasses or the tumbler glasses, where the lower models for whisky and water sit. If you mix your own, the cocktail shakers hold the tools that go with it, from shaker to strainer.