La Rochere Lily

All four versions are the same 25 cl tumbler, so the choice here is purely about colour. A set of six in a single shade keeps the table calm; four sets of six in four shades give the loose, collected look that brocante is known for. The latter has a practical advantage too: everyone recognises their own glass, so fewer half-full glasses are left standing around. The 25 cl size is generous enough for water with ice, juice or an aperitif without a stem. If you want the same size in clear glass, take a look at the water glasses or the broader tumbler glasses.

A stemless tumbler is the glass of the long table: water with dinner, mint tea in summer, juice at breakfast. The relief gives grip, even with wet hands, which makes the Lily suited to outdoor use. For an aperitif in the garden, a hugo spritz with plenty of ice and mint works well in this size. An aperol spritz fits in it too, although the classic serve is a stemmed balloon glass.

Pressed glass is thick and solid, which makes the Lily less fragile than thin-walled glass of the same capacity. The series is dishwasher safe. The colour sits in the glass itself rather than in a coating, so it does not wash off and does not fade. Do watch out for limescale: in the relief, deposits stay visible if you use hard water without rinse aid. A glass brush reaches the corners a sponge cannot.

The rest of the French range, from heraldic motifs to bee patterns, is at La Rochère. Looking for glassware with the same old-fashioned character from other makers? Take a look at the vintage glasses. And for hot drinks in this same kind of register there are the tea glasses. If you want to carry the colours through to the rest of the table, there are jugs and bowls in comparable pressed glass that follow the motif without making the whole thing busy.