Yes, your home bar is finally finished and all you have to do is take some time and equip it with all required accessories. After you deal with larger pieces, such as refrigerator and dish washer make sure you dedicate sufficient attention to glassware, since it surely is an accessory you will use the most. However, the variety of options available is often confusing. To help you manage, here are several advice on glassware any serious home bar owner must have.
Initial Concerns
Taking into consideration all major glass types can be overwhelming even for semi-professionals, so it is quite easy to lose track of what is really required and what can be done without. Therefore, the first thing you need have to be sure about is what kind of glassware you will be using the most in order to concentrate on the best specimens of each must have groups.
Classic Glass
There are situations when you will simply reach out and take the first glass that you touched and pour yourself a drink. This is where classic, traditional glasses come alive. They need to be short, thick bottomed and with a volume of five to ten ounces. On-the-rocks and other liquor specials fit perfectly, so does any juice and soda, or water for that matter. Universality and durability are their mast favorable characteristic which surely puts them on your must-to-have list.
Martini Glass
A good martini glass is something any respectable home bar owner should not do without. Blown glasses are a standard in this area and make sure you choose one of those. However, when it comes to standard in the glass volume area, things are not that clean. Martini glass sizes range from three to 12 ounces. This is where you should pick according to your personal preference, that is, to go for the volume you usually use.
Wine Glasses
Each of major wine types deserves its own glass in your bar. However, you should not consider anything but the best for your carefully selected wine specials. Transparent materials, such as crystal or glass that are not too fragile should be your primary goal. Naturally, wide bowl glasses for red wine and narrow bowl ones for white wine are an initial must. Until you expand your collection to other wine types these two will do just fine.
Champagne Flute Glass
Thou some people swear to coupes as the best champagne glasses flutes are favored here for several reasons. First of all, they keep the aroma better due to their long and narrow structure. Secondly, since they are superior to coupes in containing champagne bottles. The thing is that coupes allow a large contact surface between air and champagne which makes the bubbles go away faster. Lastly, their appearance is so elegant it is an art on its own.
Beer
If you thought there are too many wine glasses available, you will be surprised how many beer styles are there. Imagine the required glassware storage to keep a glass for each one. Just like with wine, concentrate on the most wide spread beer types and corresponding glasses. Mugs are perfect for ales and stouts, slender shaped glasses for rye beers and curvaceous glasses for lagers and pilsners.
This completes the must have glassware list. Yes, it is expandable and by all means to that if any other types are required. Still, these five types will surely be enough to cover all usual home bar requirements.