Grappa Glass Riserva 81ml, Tulip Stem, Star Glass (Pack of 6)

For a venue with a selection of grappa and amaro that sells it as a selection. An amaro served in a 40ml shot glass is a drink. The same amaro in a stem glass that leaves it room is a tasting, and can be priced as one. The difference in cost between the two glasses is small. The difference in how the serve reads is not.

At home it is the grappa glass for anyone who keeps a few good bottles of grappa or amaro and opens them after dinner: six glasses, one per guest.

With an aromatic spirit the aromas sit in the air above the liquid more than in the liquid. A 40ml measure in an 81ml glass leaves about half the volume free, 41ml. In that space the volatile compounds build up and reach the nose as the glass comes close. In a shot glass the liquid comes almost to the rim, that chamber does not exist, and what you get is mostly alcohol. The tulip shape does the rest: the bowl closes towards the rim and holds the aromas in.

Specifications

• Capacity: 81ml
• Height: 16.3cm
• Diameter: 5.6cm
• Shape: tulip bowl on a stem
• Material: Star Glass, lead-free glass
• Rim: laser-cut
• Pack quantity: 6 glasses
• MPN: Bormioli Rocco 166181GRC021990, Riserva collection
• Use: grappa, amaro, spirits served neat

The Riserva collection, and what the maker declares

Riserva is the tasting range by Bormioli Rocco. The maker states that it developed the range with the Faculty of Oenology of the Università Cattolica in Piacenza and had it tested by the professionals of the Associazione Italiana Sommelier. On the glass it declares two things. The rim is laser-cut, so it is thin and even, without the rolled edge of pressed glasses that the lip can feel. Today’s Star Glass has 30% more resistance to breakage than earlier items in the same glass. In a venue the second matters as much as the first, because stem glasses are the ones that break most in the wash.

Choose the grappa glass if

You sell grappa and amaro as a selection and not as an afterthought at the end of the meal. For shots served fast and in quantity, 40 or 60ml shot glasses are quicker and cost less to replace.

The plain wall, which here has a job

The Riserva grappa glass has no decoration, and on a tasting glass that helps the reading. An aged grappa has a colour that tells you about the maturation. An amaro has a density you see in the legs on the wall when the glass is turned. A guest who knows spirits looks for both, and decoration hides them.

Serving temperature

Worth stating, because it is where most mistakes are made. Young grappa and amaro are served cool, at around 10°C, but not ice-cold: below that the aromas close and what is left is the alcohol. Aged grappa is served at almost room temperature. This is what the stem is for: the glass is held by the stem, the hand stays away from the bowl and the spirit does not warm up.

One glass or two sizes

A venue with a serious spirits selection keeps two formats: the short glass for shots and the grappa glass for tastings. A venue that serves amaro only after dinner can keep this one and use it for everything, because a short measure in a larger glass is still correct, while the reverse is not.

The more you buy, the less you pay: 4 packs -5%, 6 -7%, 8 -10%, on the same item. The discount applies automatically in the basket.

Care

The grappa glass has no decoration and no relief, so there is nowhere for residue to settle. On glasses for spirits a generous final rinse is worth it, because traces of detergent reach the nose before the palate. At 16.3cm tall it needs a rack for stem glasses. The maker does not declare dishwasher use in its sheet for this item.

FAQ

Why is the grappa glass larger than a shot glass? Because the empty volume above the measure is the chamber where the aromas gather.

How much grappa do you pour? About 40ml: the other half of the volume is for the aromas.

Should it be served ice-cold? No: below 10°C the aromas close. Cool for young grappa, almost room temperature for aged.

Can it be used for whisky? Yes, and for any spirit served neat: the principle of the empty volume is the same.

How many glasses are in the pack? Six.

For the other after-dinner glasses, see the shot and amaro glasses category.

Dispatched from Rome, Italy.