Stölzle Lausitz Soho

The 32 cl tumbler is the glass for anything served over ice: whisky neat, a old fashioned with one large cube, or a negroni. The 25 cl martini glass is intended for shaken and stirred drinks served without ice, and 25 cl is spacious enough for garnishing without overflowing. The 38 cl highball accommodates anything topped up with tonic or soda and has room for four ice cubes. Choose the 27.5 cl coupe for sparkling drinks and the 32 cl as an all-purpose glass. The full shape comparison is available under cocktail glasses.

Chill the glass before pouring, because a drink without ice warms up in a lukewarm glass within two minutes. Five minutes in the freezer is enough, or one minute with ice and water in it. A dry martini is stirred in a mixing glass and strained into the chilled martini glass; stirring keeps it clear, whereas shaking makes it frothy and watery. A french 75 goes in the coupe instead, with the champagne added last so the bubbles remain.

Bar glasses take more punishment than wine glasses: citric acid, sticky syrups and ice knocking against the wall. This crystal glass can go in the dishwasher on a short programme, but leave plenty of space between coupes and martini glasses, because a wide bowl on a slender stem is the most vulnerable point of the range. Store them upright, so the rim rests on nothing and the weight stays on the foot.

If you only want the cone shape, the quickest place to compare them is the martini glasses, which also include coupettes and Nick & Noras. For the tall models, look under highball glasses , and for low tumblers, under whisky glasses, where you'll find the heavier bases designed to hold a large ice cube. All other series from the same brand, including the wine glasses and flutes, are grouped together under Stölzle Lausitz.