RCR Light

Fifty-five centilitres is generous: enough for half a litre of beer with a head, or for a long drink with plenty of ice. The 38 centilitre is the size in which a cocktail on ice sits comfortably without needing a top-up halfway. The 22 centilitre is the smallest of the three and serves as a water glass or for spirits neat. Because the wall is thinner than is usual for crystal, the 55 centilitre weighs a good deal less than you would expect at that size. See also the beer glasses and the long drink glasses.

A thin rim changes how a drink arrives: the liquid runs onto the tongue rather than rolling over a thick curve, and you notice that most with beer. Pour beer into a tilted glass and stand it upright once it is half full, and you get a firm head of about two centimetres. For a Cuba Libre or a Tom Collins you use the 55 centilitre, with the ice first and the mixer poured down the side afterwards.

Thin-walled glass is not automatically more fragile, as long as it takes no knocks from other crockery. Place the glasses loosely in the rack and not up against cutlery. Luxion is dishwasher safe and stays clear even after long use, where ordinary glass turns milky over time. Dry the 55 centilitre with a cloth afterwards, because moisture lingers at the bottom of a tall, narrow glass.

If it is precisely the weight and the heavy base of classic crystal you want, look at the other series by RCR, where cut and ribbed models stand side by side. For a low tumbler to pour spirits over ice, the whiskey glasses are more specific in shape. And if residue is left at the bottom of the tall glass, a glass brush will reach it.