A wide variety of drinkware is available today, especially for food service businesses. As they have to maintain their quality standards more than anything, that also applies to foodware and drinkware as well. Along with top-notch glass dinnerware sets, the drinkware matters a lot too! The sheer number of options can make it difficult to zero in on the right one for your business.
A quick tip: Consider the qualities of your drink and the type of glass that would best showcase it before making your selection. You should use a smaller glass if the beverage has a high alcohol content to prevent intoxication.
A stemmed glass is to go when drinking beverages that are served at room temperature without ice. Carbonated beverages are best served in tall, narrow glasses to prevent them from dissipating. Though it would be impractical for any one business to stock various glassware, many suppliers will try to meet these preferences whenever possible.
Choosing the Correct Glassware
The right glassware for your drink depends on its contents. Beer, wine, and spirits benefit from having their aromas and flavors amplified by using glasses of the appropriate size and shape. The right glass can also improve the beverage’s presentation and perceived value, allowing businesses to charge more for it.
Craft beer, brown spirits, and cocktail ingredient experimentation have all led to the development of novel glassware with the intention of enhancing the drink’s flavor and aroma. A glass designed for hard cider, for instance, will have a round bowl to maximize the diffusion of the apple flavor and bottom ridges to maximize the fizz.
There are many factors to consider, including the quantity to order, how to care for the glasses properly, the number of different types to stock, and more. Here, you’ll find comprehensive information on drinkware options for businesses.
These are the most common categories of glassware:
- Juice
- Highball, rocks
- Drink, shot
- Shooter tumblers
- Tumbler glass set, and
- Water tumbler glasses
Glassware with stems:
- Wine goblet
- Pub glasses
- Martini
- Margarita
- Coupe
- Flute
- Pilsners
- Tulip stems
- Belgian
Glassware: Its Build and Endurance
Sand, soda ash, and limestone are the main building blocks of glass. Soda-lime, an umbrella term encompassing all three elements, is used in most glass production. Different companies use their unique methods to produce their one-of-a-kind glasses and blend these ingredients in different proportions.
Common methods of making glassware involve melting sand, soda ash, and limestone at temperatures above 2,000°F, then shaping the molten mixture into the desired form (or forms, as is the case with most stemware, which has its bowl and stems molded separately before being joined), followed by polishing, tempering for strength, cooling, and inspection.
What About Plastic?
Drinkware options in plastic that were previously only available (or only looked good in) glass are now readily available to foodservice operators thanks to materials, design, and manufacturing advancements. The good news is as more options in drinkware materials mean better options for businesses.
Plastic provides:
- Strength – Higher resistance to chipping than glass
- Security – Unlike glass, it won’t break into dangerous shards or chips.
If you take good care of your plastic drinkware, you only need to replace it every 10 to 20 years, while glass may need to be replaced anywhere from 50 to 150 times its useful life.
What About: Giving Customers Something to Remember?
People don’t go to functions or restaurants for just food, some discussions over wine are well remembered too. Reconnecting, sharing, seeing, and being seen are all possibilities. Tableware that promotes sharing and exploration is ideal for this social setting. Sample drink glasses and small plates to share can help turn dinner into a social event for diners.
Functionality
How well the glassware serves its intended purpose is a measure of its functionality. We’ve already established that glassware serves a much higher purpose than simply bringing drinks from their containers to guests’ mouths.
Ideally, it would also improve the dining experience. A nonfunctional glass, whether too heavy, too tall or doesn’t fit comfortably in the guest’s hand, will detract from this experience.
Consider how your guests will feel about the glass, not just how nice it is or how long it will last!
Last Sip
Glassware is still a great option and might even be the best for some food service establishments. The most important thing to remember is that there are now high-quality plastic drinkware options available that are suitable for various brand styles and degrees of formality, but nothing can beat the aesthetic appeal of good-quality glass drinkware.
