Let us help you find stylish stemware, cocktail glasses and bar tools for everyday and special occasions. Read on for our tips and recommendations.
Food for Thought
- Consider your drink preferences and how often you plan to entertain. A basic stemware set includes water glasses and red and white wineglasses. Additional stemware can be selected for specific wine varietals -- for example, Cabernet, Pinot Noir or Montrachet.
- Be sure your selections include items like highballs, old-fashioneds and stemmed cocktail glasses, as well as bar tools and accessories, if you plan to host cocktail parties.
- Register for at least twice as many wineglasses as dinnerware place settings to ensure you have enough glasses for the cocktail hour and dinner.
- Choose sturdy, versatile glassware for everyday use and casual entertaining. Our Picardie tumblers -- a Williams-Sonoma favorite for over 30 years -- are ideal for this purpose.
Stemware Care
Step 1: Wash under warm water; detergent is not necessary.
Step 2: Place on linen towel to dry briefly.
Step 3: For extra shine, steam over boiling water.
Step 4: To dry, use two absorbent flour sack towels. Hold glass by base; never twist the base and bowl.
Step 5: Use one hand to cradle the bowl while polishing with the other for a perfect result.
A water glass is shaped large enough to serve still or sparkling mineral water, and it offers a more formal presentation of iced tea or juice.
Picardie Tumblers (quantity: 12)
These sturdy glasses have been Williams-Sonoma favorites for decades. Designed to serve hot or cold beverages, they can also accommodate juice, water, wine and more.
An elegant pitcher is useful for serving margaritas, martinis, sangria, Bloody Marys and other libations. It's also handy for non-alcoholic drinks like lemonade and iced tea.
Champagne Flute (quantity: 12)
A flute is ideal for serving champagne and sparkling wines, as well as the cocktails made from them. Its tall, slender bowl focuses aromas and helps preserve effervescence.
Perfect for everything from assertive Cabernets to mellow Merlots, this glass has a large bowl that encourages the bouquet to develop, eliciting every nuance of aroma.
White Wineglass (quantity: 12)
This glass is ideally proportioned for serving white wines, from dry Chardonnays to fruity Rieslings. The tall stem keeps the bowl from being warmed by your hand.
This tool allows you to open bottles of wine with the ease and expertise of a sommelier.
Keep white wine and champagne at their ideal serving temperature by chilling them in an elegant bucket filled with ice.
Double Old-Fashioned (quantity: 12)
This short, wide glass is perfect for serving mixed drinks (including the old-fashioned, from which it derives its name), as well as fruit juice, milk or other soft drinks.
This glass is used to serve tall mixed drinks, such as a mojito or a gin and tonic. It's also great for sodas, lemonade or iced tea.
Martini Glass/Stemmed Cocktail
Distinguished by its broad, conical bowl, this is the quintessential glass for martinis and other classic cocktails like cosmopolitans and sidecars.
This stemmed glass has a wide, shallow bowl and a rim thick enough to hold a coating of salt, the classic margarita garnish.
Tall, tapering pilsner glasses or substantial beer mugs are essentials for serving beer, ale, porter and stout.
Just right for aperitifs and after-dinner liqueurs, this diminutive glass can also be used for serving spirits.
Also known as a snifter, this glass has a balloon-shaped bowl that provides ample space for swirling brandies and cognacs and enjoying their aromas.
Shaking cocktails with crushed ice quickly reduces the alcohol's temperature without diluting the flavor of the spirits.
A typical set of bar tools includes a cocktail strainer, stirrer, jigger, ice tongs and bar knife -- all to make mixology more enjoyable and successful.