Georgian Drinking Glasses
18th and early 19th century Georgian drinking glasses are distinguished from wine glasses not only by the contents for which they were intended but also by their form and engraving.
Nowadays we see branded glasses for wheat beer, a unique style glass for each of the myriad of Belgian ales, IPA glasses and all manner of beer glassware claiming to improve the drinking experience and improve head retention for all beer styles. Beer should be served under gravity from wooden barrels thus negating much of this nonsense. I digress
There were three basic types of beer glasses in the 18th century. Elegant tall ale glasses with opaque twist stems, air twist stems, plain and facet cut stems all of which resemble modern day champagne flutes. These are ideal for head retention if requisite. Secondly dwarf ale glasses for strong ale some not more than five inches tall. Finally Georgian glass tankards and beer mugs the latter made from pottery or porcelain. All of these tankards and mugs are most frequently engraved or decorated with hops and barley.
For a whisky glass please try a Georgian dram glass, there is a good deal of variation in the shaped bowl and capacity. If you wish to add a little water or heavens above ice cubes then a georgian glass tumbler, antique flip glass if you prefer, engraved with pictorial snippets of history, be they Jacobite engraved, Masonic glassware or to commemorate an event such as a wedding or the anniversary of a battle may be called upon.
Deceptive glasses and toastmasters glasses intentionally disguise and reduce the capacity of the glass. Firing glasses with thickened feet can be used for shots, so called as when they are slammed onto a table in unison the noise is supposed to resemble that of musket fire.
With the rise of the inelegant hipster, aided and abetted by shrewd marketeers, we have been propelled in to the fourth gin craze; antique 18th century and early 19th century gin glasses from the previous incarnations of this obsessive devotion to genever are still plentiful. The bowls of these older glasses are generally small for the purpose of drinking the spirit neat; if you wish to adulterate your pure 'daffy' with mixers then perhaps try a Georgian glass rummer for additional capacity.