Royal Leerdam Specials

The 60 cl gin and tonic glass is the largest in the line: you need that room because it takes so much ice that the tonic never turns watery. For cognac there are two balloons, 37 cl for a normal measure and 80 cl for anyone who wants to give the aroma free rein. The 26 cl martini glass is on the large side, which suits a cocktail with a foam layer. Alongside them sit a 23 cl champagne coupe, a 25 cl footed beer glass, a 9 cl grappa and shot glass, a 13 cl tasting glass and the 18 cl Sniffer tumbler. More sizes can be found among the gin and tonic glasses.

Build a gin and tonic in the 60 cl glass: fill it to the top with ice, pour the gin over it and let the tonic run in down a bar spoon so the bubbles stay put. The recipe for a Gin & Tonic explains the proportions. Cognac is drunk at room temperature, with the bowl resting in your palm. An Espresso Martini goes in the 26 cl martini glass, where the crema has room. The 13 cl tasting glass is meant for tastings, not to be filled up.

Royal Leerdam makes these glasses from machine-blown soda-lime glass, which is harder than crystal glass and therefore stands up better to the knocking about of a full dishwasher. The trade-off is a rim that comes out slightly thicker than on a crystal bowl. Put the 80 cl cognac balloon in the rack on its own, because it only just fits most machines. Let the glasses dry on their foot and polish them while they are still lukewarm.

If it is only the cognac balloon you are after, every size sits under cognac glasses. The small 9 cl glass appears under shot glasses and the tasting sizes among the tasting glasses. For the wide bowl on its own there is the champagne coupe glasses category, and the kit for mixing sits with the cocktail shakers. If you want to put a complete little set together in one go, combine the tasting glass with the cognac balloon and the coupe.