The Major Types of Glassware and Their Purpose

The specific type of glassware in which a drink is served, greatly affects its presentation. Some food service establishments have started to use the same kind of glassware for a number of beverages. This is to reduce the number of glassware types that they need to maintain in their inventory. However, full service hotels usually do not use mass-produced glassware that is normally less expensive and less thick, yet they may have imperfections. They prefer to use the finest and more expensive glassware. Despite this, however, every establishment owner or manager has to ensure that their crew knows how to polish glassware properly to keep them sparkly shining.

For some hotel chains, using common glassware would be acceptable. However, it is very important for many occasions that the management takes into account both the function and form of glassware as not all glasses work the same. Just a tip, glass items that come with rims and rolled edges are less likely to chip or crack. Moreover, each type also requires a different way to polish glassware. Here are some types of glassware that your restaurant or hotel may need to have in your inventory.

Cocktail Glass: the form of this glassware is an inverted cone bowl and is usually for cocktails without ice. The purpose of its wide opening is for the aroma of the drinks to entice the drinker and enjoy the taste.

Flute Glass: the design of this glass, with its small opening, thin bowl, and the tall stem is simply science. The small surface area allows the drink to preserve its bubbles while stopping them to go out too fast.

Wine Glass: this glassware comes in two options. One is for a red wine that has a rounder and bigger bowl that is intended for swirling to create aeration whereas the one for white wine has a smaller mouth to prevent it from oxidizing while retaining its delicate notes. Typically, these are the ones that make the task to polish glassware more challenging.

Other glassware types include highball glass for serving mixed drinks, lowball glass is perfect for a neat pour of liquor, snifter glasses are best for brandy or whisky, and many others.