Jazz up your parties: The beginner collector’s guide to vintage cocktail glasses
New to the world of vintage cocktail glasses? We’ve dished out some knowledge on the history, different styles, and deets on how to care for these gorgeous glasses that’ll have you stirring up attention at your next party.
Rock your next get-together or party with the charm of vintage cocktail glasses. Each type of glass adds a sophistication that’ll have your friends asking “where did you get that?”
In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to start and collect vintage cocktail glassware, including shapes, design, decorative elements, manufacturers and more. Read on!
Shapes of vintage cocktail glasses
Why do you need so many different cocktail glass shapes in your home bar? The shape helps to achieve the ideal drinking experience — think colour, scent, taste and temperature.
Then, of course, it’s all about the presentation.
Step into the world of Old Hollywood, where cocktails were poured into the most stylish glassware, adding a touch of glamour to every scene. Let’s start with the Nick and Nora glass.
Nick and Nora Charles were two sophisticated detectives in The Thin Man series of movies starring William Powell and Myrna Loy.
Based on Dashiell Hammett's best-selling 1934 novel, the two solved cases with cocktail glasses always close to hand.
The Nick and Nora glass is small, tulip-shaped and stemmed, holding a scant five to six ounces.
Now, Hollywood didn’t brand the glass. New York bartender Dale DeCroff, who worked at The Rainbow Room in the 1980s, started serving drinks in these glasses. DeCroff dubbed the pretty, petite glasses the “Nick and Nora.”
Rocks glasses go by many other names, including low tumblers, lowball glasses, whiskey glasses, or old-fashioned glasses.
These short glasses are made to hold a variety of spirits either on the rocks or neat. The popularity of collecting vintage rock glasses increased with the Mad Men television series.
With their versatile design, the tall and slender Collins glasses inspire creativity in your bar menu.
Perfect for highball cocktails like the Tom Collins, these glasses can hold between 10 to 14 ounces, making them ideal for serving a variety of spirit-free or non-alcoholic beverages, too.
Roly-poly glasses are short, curvaceous glasses that are wider at the rounded, wobbly bottom. Try placing one down on a tabletop and watch it rock.
Also referred to as a whiskey glass or a tumbler with a twist, these glasses are always a conversation starter.
Now, for the sour glass, which you may have heard described as a Delmonico glass, named after a restaurant that opened in New York City in 1827.
The cup is round, and the stem is long, enabling you to hold it without warming up the cold drink with your hand. It’s similar to the Nick and Nora style, but the vessel portion is shorter and the stem is longer.
A hurricane glass is a sexy addition to your vintage cocktail glass collection. Tall and curvaceous, it is similar to a hurricane lamp in shape.
The hurricane glass was purportedly invented by Pat O’Brien’s bar in New Orleans during the 1940s.
Accommodating up to 20 ounces of liquid, it's wonderful for frozen drinks. Or think of the namesake hurricane cocktail with two rum types and three fresh juices.
Vintage goblets can set you back hundreds of dollars or more per stem, depending on how ornate they are.
Lesser-priced goblets are made of Depression glass, for which you can purchase a whole set for the same price as one vintage hand-blown variety.
Drinking wine from these bell-shaped, stemmed goblets certainly elevates the experience.
Beer lovers will enjoy vintage Pilsner glasses. These tall, long-V-shaped glasses have a footed bottom that is an equal width to the rim. This style of glass dates to the late 19th century.
Cordial glasses (also known as sherry glasses) are petite, slender glasses used to serve sweet cordials or liqueurs with desserts.
They were initially popularized during the Georgian era, which started in the 1700s. These tiny cocktail glasses are a treat to use!
A celebratory champagne coupe is a short, wide-mouth vessel on an elegant long stem.
The style was likely introduced in the 1600s, but in the middle of the 20th century, the champagne coupe was replaced by the long-fluted style champagne glass, aptly called a champagne flute or champagne tulip, to help trap the effervescent bubbles more effectively.
You can also use a champagne coupe for cocktails such as martinis or daiquiris.
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Style, design and decorative elements in vintage glassware
Let’s look at some of vintage glassware’s stand-out styles, designs and decorative elements. The varieties are endless.
Style
It’s hard to resist the fun and adventure Tiki glassware brings to a party. A Tiki glass style features Polynesian-themed elements and motifs such as bold Polynesian art patterns, replicas of statues, or tropical fruits such as pineapple or coconut.
Much of the Tiki glassware in the marketplace today is from the 1950s and 1960s when the style was at its pinnacle.
Tiki culture is Polynesian-inspired, with the first Tiki bar, Donn the Beachcomber, having opened in Hollywood in 1934 by Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt.
Through his travels through the South Pacific, he discovered a bevy of fruity-inspired drinks. Hence, the Tiki glass was born.
The Tiki glass does not have a particular shape. Although the hurricane glass is popular, a Tiki glass could easily be a Collins glass or even a goblet.
Design
The stems of vintage glassware can be particularly noteworthy, with contrasting colours, various stylized shapes, and even figures. Think of everything from stags to kangaroos to seahorses.
Stems can appear in a zig-zag formation or twisted. Some have large, beaded stems, often in contrasting colours.
Speaking of colour, if you are lucky enough to find a complete collection of cocktail glasses in a shape to hold your favourite alcoholic beverage, colour can be the differentiating point.
Some collections feature each glass in a different colour. It helps identify whose drink belongs to whom.
You’ll fall in love with vintage glassware in the textural hobnail design, which, while developed in the 1800s, wasn’t popularized until the mid-20th century.
Beaded on the outside of the glass, you’ll find hobnail patterns in colours from pastel to jewelled tones.
Decorative elements
Clear, vintage cocktail glasses are often prettied up with lovely etchings and thick gold rims. Other decorative elements include both abstract designs and patterns from nature.
How to shop for vintage glassware
Visit antique shops and malls, flea markets and yard sales to uncover hidden gems, or tap a local vintage seller.
When inspecting the glassware for purchase, pay close attention and look for small chips, especially around the rims. Also, gold leaf tends to fade, so take a good look before purchasing pairs or sets.
Manufacturers of vintage cocktail glasses
You’ll find dozens of manufacturers that made vintage cocktail glasses. Here is a small selection of some popular makers you’ll find in the marketplace.
Anchor Hocking from Lancaster, Ohio, started in 1905 and still creates glassware today.
Look for the symbol featuring an anchor with a capital H. You’ll be captivated by square-shaped textured tumblers in yellow, and swirl-patterned green beauties. Sunflowers, tulips, strawberries, and songbirds are some of the nature-inspired motifs you’ll find.
Culver represents the stunning opulence of cocktail parties in the 1950s and 1960s. Think glassware decorated with 22-karat gold. The Asian- and African-inspired prints are particularly fetching. Look for the Culver name on the glass in various incarnations depending on the time frame in which it was produced.
Federal Glass Company started in Columbus, Ohio, in 1906 and made its mark with Depression glass. When that era passed, they produced mid-century designs such as the prevalent Atomic style pattern. You’ll know it’s the real deal if you find the hallmark featuring a shield with a capital F.
Libbey Glass Company continues to manufacture high-quality glassware today. Regarding vintage glassware, this company is for you if you covet cocktail glasses with swank.
Look for patterns, including spirals and stripes rising along the stems. Other glasses to add to your collection include rock glasses that look straight from Mad Men, which are priced accordingly.
If mid-century is your look and pattern is your game, look no further than vintage cocktail designer Russell Wright. Incredibly flamboyant is the Eclipse pattern, featuring a burst of colorful, vibrant circles mixed with other circles in 22-karat gold.
How to care for vintage cocktail glasses
It may be cumbersome, but handwash each glass. Do not place it in the dishwasher, especially if the pieces contain gold leaf.
Buying vintage cocktail glasses, add a storied collection of drinking vessels to your bar that are unique to your home. These pieces are party conversation starters. Feel the vintage vibe!
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Karen Barr is a freelance writer in Ottawa, Ont.
