Arcoroc Hot Shot

The small 3.4 cl size is the classic shot format: one mouthful, downed in one go. That is the measure for jenever, tequila, vodka and most shot recipes, where the standard serving is around three centilitres, so you fill to just below the rim. The 6.4 cl leaves room for layered shots with two or three ingredients, for an espresso, or for an amuse-bouche.

Look at the base as well. On the Hot Shot it is deliberately heavy, so the glass does not tip over when you set it down and absorbs the impact instead of passing it on. Anyone who often serves by the tray notices that difference within one evening.

Serve chilled shots from a bottle that has been kept in the freezer, not from a glass with ice; ice dilutes a 3-centiliter serving within a minute. For layered shots, pour in the heaviest ingredient first and let the next layer run over the rounded side of a spoon so the layers remain separate.

For hot applications, preheat the glass briefly with hot tap water first. This warms the glass evenly rather than only on the inside. Recipes that work well with this measure can be found on the page for shots, including the B52 Kamikaze kamikaze.

Hot Shot is made of tempered soda-lime glass. Tempering puts the surface under tension, which makes the glass better at taking knocks and rapid temperature changes than ordinary glass. The glasses can go in the dishwasher and hold up well in a short hospitality cycle too. Put them in a compartment rack upside down, because loose in a basket twelve small glasses will inevitably knock together.

Looking for more choice in small glassware? Take a look at the shot glasses or the somewhat more elegant liqueur glasses. For jenever and herbal bitters, the snifter glasses are the place to start, and the rest of the French catering range can be found at Arcoroc. If you prefer larger glasses that can withstand the same treatment, the catering glasses give you a broader overview of what survives in the washing-up area.