Plastic cocktail glasses

Start with the drink, not with the glass. For shots and liqueur a 17 cl shot glass will do; for a shaken cocktail on the rocks a tumbler of 34 to 40 cl works well, holding three ice cubes and the drink together exactly. If you mostly serve long drinks, the tall models of 32 to 44 cl are the logical choice, and the 75 cl balloon glass is made for gin and tonic with plenty of ice and botanicals. Also look at the pack size, because it varies a great deal: some models come in sixes, others in twelves, twenty-fours or even forty-fives. For home use on the terrace a set of six is enough; for an event, count on one and a half glasses per guest per hour, because people lose track of their glass. Finally, stackability saves a lot of room in a crate, and most tumblers in this category are slightly tapered and therefore nest.

Treat a plastic glass just like an ordinary glass: ice first, then the drink, and garnish last. The difference is the temperature. Plastic conducts heat less effectively than glass, so the drink inside stays cold longer while the outside barely forms any condensation; you therefore notice less easily whether the glass is still cold. So fill it generously with ice. A gin and tonic in the balloon glass with a slice of grapefruit works just as well outdoors as indoors, and a mojito can be muddled without worry because there is no wall that might give way under the muddler. Just be careful with a wooden muddler against a plastic wall: press vertically rather than twisting, otherwise you will get scratches.

Most glasses in this category are polycarbonate, a tough plastic that does not shatter and that you can use over and over again. They are dishwasher safe, but on a cycle up to about sixty degrees; any hotter and the wall can distort. Do not use a scouring pad, because scratches in plastic are permanent and leave the glass dull. Citrus oil from peel can build up on the wall after prolonged contact, so give them a quick rinse after an evening heavy on lime. Store the glasses stacked and completely dry, because moisture between two glasses eventually leaves rings that will not come out.

Looking for the same effect in a wider range? Then check out the unbreakable glasses , including wine glasses and champagne flutes that won't break if they slide off a tray. If you want to go back to real glass, start with the cocktail glasses, the highball glasses and the tumbler glasses . If you mix your own drinks, you'll need a cocktail shaker to chill and froth them, and for the shots alongside, the shot glasses are the place to look.