Schott Zwiesel Basic Bar Selection

Start by working out which shapes your menu actually needs. The 37 cl Classic old fashioned glass is the workhorse of this range and suits everything served over ice. For cocktails served straight up, choose between the 20 cl cocktail glass, the 26 cl coupe and the 23 cl Contemporary martini glass. Long drinks go into 31, 36.1 or 37 cl, and the soft drink glasses run from 21 cl for a small glass of soda to 54 cl for a full pour over ice. There is also a 50 cl mixing jug, a 70 cl shaker and a 75 cl water carafe, so your tools match the glassware.

Stir anything made purely from spirits in the mixing jug and strain it over a fresh block of ice in the tumbler, exactly as you would for an old fashioned. As soon as juice, syrup or egg comes into play, switch to the shaker. Chill the stemmed glasses before you pour: a minute with ice and water in them, tip it out, shake dry and only then fill. With a negroni you notice the difference within minutes, because an unchilled glass warms the drink faster than the ice can cool it.

The range is made from Tritan, the crystal glass Schott Zwiesel developed itself, which survives hundreds of dishwasher cycles without the rim going dull. That makes it suitable for a bar where the machine runs all evening. Wash on a short glassware programme, rinse thoroughly and polish with a lint-free cloth, because limescale shows up sooner on clear crystal glass than on tempered glass. Place stems apart from each other in the rack.

If you are after a specific shape rather than a whole range, you can browse by glass type at the old fashioned glasses and the martini glasses. If you want to see the other ranges from the same brand, from the banquet line to the wine series, you will find them under Schott Zwiesel. And if you are missing tools beyond the shaker and the mixing jug in this line, have a look at the cocktail shakers, where you will also find bar spoons, strainers and jiggers. If you are still unsure about sizes or material, the frequently asked questions below will help.