SPIEGELAU Perfect Serve Collection

Let the recipe decide the size. A cocktail served without ice goes into the 15 cl Nick & Nora or the 16.5 cl cocktail glass: small, so the last sip is still cold. Sour, shaken drinks with a layer of foam show better in the 23.5 cl coupette. For whisky and anything over a large ice block, reach for the 27 or 37 cl tumbler. Long drinks with tonic or ginger beer go into 24 or 35 cl, depending on how much ice you need. You will find the wider selection under cocktail glasses.

Stirring is done in the 74 cl mixing glass: fill it two thirds with ice, stir for thirty seconds with a bar spoon and strain into a pre-chilled glass. Shaking is for everything with citrus or egg. Measure your pours with a jigger, because half a centilitre too much syrup shifts the whole balance. The 5.2 cl shot glass works both as a serving glass and as a measure. The 7.8 cl coffee glass is meant for espresso and hot drinks.

The range is machine-drawn from lead-free crystal glass and therefore thinner than most bar glassware. That feels good on the lips and calls for care when washing: loose in the basket, short programme, and never push one glass into another by hand. The 75 cl whisky decanter has a narrow neck; clean it with a brush or let soapy water soak in.

If you are after a different model, the narrow bowls are under Nick & Nora glasses and every range from the brand under Spiegelau. If you would rather work with a shaker than a mixing glass, take a look at the cocktail shakers. And to work out which glass you need: the method for a Dry Martini and an Old Fashioned is set out step by step.