Luigi Bormioli Sublime

The two tumblers do different jobs. The 45 cl belongs with the whisky glasses and is meant for spirits over a large block of ice, the glass being wide enough to take that block. The 59 cl sits with the tumblers and is a substantial water glass, roomy enough for ice and lemon without needing a top-up halfway through. The one-litre carafe takes exactly a bottle of wine or a table's worth of water, and fits in with the other carafes.

A thin rim asks for a little more care when pouring. Stand the glass on the table rather than holding it, because a knock from a bottle neck against a thin rim is exactly where things go wrong. Fill the 45 cl tumbler with one large block of ice and pour beside it, not onto it. That works best for an old fashioned, and for a white russian you run the cream down the back of a spoon so that it stays floating.

SON.hyx is harder than ordinary soda-lime glass and therefore scratches less quickly, which matters most for glasses that go into the dishwasher every day. The glass is also treated against clouding, so it stays clear after hundreds of wash cycles instead of turning milky. Run a short glassware programme, rinse well and dry the glass while it is still hand-warm, because that leaves no limescale marks.

Other series from the brand can be found at Luigi Bormioli, including the wine bowls and the bar lines for behind the counter. If you are mainly after serveware rather than drinking glasses, alongside the carafes you will also find the water jugs, which are larger and have a handle. And if you work with ice and spirits yourself, the cocktail shakers also cover the mixing glasses, strainers and bar spoons you need to go with them.