Imagine drinking whiskey from a delicately slim, tall flute. Or drinking Champagne from a heavy-weighted, straight-edged tumbler. It just feels wrong. Right?
But it’s more than a feeling – it’s a science-backed strategy that sommeliers have shouted about for decades. From how it tastes on your tongue to how it appears before your eyes, your choice of glassware changes your whole drinking experience. Not to mention how it can enhance any dinner party table from a bog-standard setting to a head-turning tablescape.
So, this is some of our favourite glassware to serve Showerings from and where to spot it.
1. LSA International
When it comes to thin stems and flat feet, it doesn’t get better than LSA. With collection after collection of sleek, sophisticated and sturdy glasses, you’re spoilt for choice. So, you’re sure to find one that suits your style. Our favourites? The Balloon Glasses from the Wine Culture collection and the Wine Glass from the Borough collection.
But these glasses have more to offer than their capacity to make you look like the most chic, chill host around. Made from lead-free crystalline glass, they have brilliance, clarity, and resilience in abundance – plus, wide bowls that allow your drink to breathe and improve the aroma and taste. In other words, LSA has the answer to all your dinner party desires.
Where we spotted it: The Double Red Duke, the Cotswolds. After a couple of hours perched at the chef’s counter of this cosy boutique hotel, we couldn’t resist asking where the wine glasses were from. ‘LSA’, replied our waiter without hesitation (but with a smirk that revealed he gets that question several times a day), before proudly demonstrating how shatter-resistant they are.
2. MARKTHOMAS
If you think of glassware as nothing more than a vessel from which to glug your drinks, MARKTHOMAS isn’t for you. This is a brand for those who want to inject some joie de vivre into everyday life – like, the simple satisfaction of being served Showerings cider in a hand-sculpted, mouth-blown glass.
But this glassware is more than sculptural art – it’s science, too. Take the No2110 Double Bend Allround, for example. With elegant thin walls and a unique double bend shape, it’s expertly engineered to have a surface area that enhances the character, balance, and aromas of fine wines and ciders better than any machine-made glasses we’ve tried.
Where we spotted it: Aulis, London. Simon Rogan’s Soho spot was awarded its first Michelin star this year. So, whilst we weren’t ogling the glassware, we were savouring the farm-to-fork fare at this intimate and interactive dining experience (limited to just twelve guests at a time).
3. Vintage
Looking like they’ve jumped right off a trendy tablescape from the 1970s, this is glassware you want to goggle at. These green-stemmed beauties were originally produced by Luminarc – a French brand selling simple and sustainable tableware – but now seem to be London’s best-kept secret. Unless you snag a reservation at Notting Hill’s chic Greek restaurant, zēphyr, of course.
Whilst zēphyr won’t sell you their stock or spill their secret supplier no matter how many times you say please (trust us, we tried), not all hope is lost. We’ve spotted matching sets of these glasses in vintage and second-hand shops both in-store and online. Phew.
Where we spotted it: zēphyr, London. The moment you step into this chic space, you’ll spot them – scattered across the white tablecloths, like green stems sprouting in spring, inviting you to snap a shameless selfie of you sipping from them to share on your socials. Go on, it’s all part of the experience.
