RCR Cristalleria Italiana

Start with the range, not with the single glass. RCR builds ranges you can keep adding to for years, and the cut sets the character. Melodia is the broad middle ground with a fine diamond pattern and runs from a 5 cl liqueur glass to a 65 cl gin and tonic bowl. Timeless and Adagio are sharper and more modern, while Opera and Brillante have a classic cut. Etna and Alkemist have a heavier base and are built around spirits. If you want colour, look at Gipsy, Maori or Pedro & Rosa, where the tumblers come in a set of different shades.

RCR is generous on capacity. Tumblers run from 21 to 42 cl, long drink glasses from 34 to 44 cl, and the wine bowls go well beyond 50 cl. For whisky neat, a tumbler of 30 to 35 cl is pleasant, because a large ice cube fits without filling the glass straight away. For a gin and tonic with plenty of ice and botanicals you want that 65 cl bowl instead.

Cut crystal calls for a drink worth looking at. Pour in whisky to just below the cut pattern, so the design catches the light and the color of the spirit shines through. The same applies to a decanter from the Opera or Timeless series: it is meant to remain on the table after dinner, so fill it to about two-thirds and leave the rest of the bottle in the cabinet.

Behind the bar, the range is broader than its name suggests. The Mixology tumblers have enough weight at the base for an old fashioned served with a single large ice cube, and the 65 cl goblet is exactly what a gin tonic needs to let the botanicals rise. Chill the glass beforehand and pour only once it is misted over.

Luxion is lead-free crystal glass, reinforced with titanium and zirconium. That makes the rim harder and the bowl more scratch-resistant than classic lead crystal, and it is the reason RCR calls its glasses dishwasher safe. Even so, the glassware programme still applies: shorter, cooler and with glasses that do not touch.

What usually goes wrong is thermal shock. A glass straight out of the freezer that goes into hot suds will crack at the base. So let glassware come back to room temperature before you wash it. Limescale marks show up far more on clear crystal than on tempered glass, but a dash of vinegar in the rinsing water and a lint-free cloth remove them without polishing.

If you're looking for RCR for a specific purpose, you can continue by shape. The complete wine glasses are grouped together, as are the whiskey glasses from all brands and the gin and tonic glasses with their balloon bowls. If you want a decanter, look under decanters, where you'll find water and wine decanters alongside whiskey decanters. If you're still missing bar tools, you'll also find bar spoons, jiggers, and strainers under cocktail shakers . And if you're looking for the mixed package instead of individual glasses, the complete glass sets are on a separate page.