Zwiesel Glas Marlène

A 75 cl water bottle holds exactly one bottle of spring water, handy if you carbonate your own water at home and want to pour it over straight away. For a table set for four, that means refilling once during the meal. The 50 cl whisky decanter is deliberately smaller: spirits are drunk in smaller quantities and you don't want them standing in the decanter for weeks. With both, pay attention to the closure. A bottle with a cap or swing top holds the carbonation, a decanter with a glass stopper does not. Alternatives can be found among the decanters.

Put the water bottle on the table chilled, but without ice inside, because that waters down what you pour. Fill the whisky decanter with a spirit that is already at its best and will not mature further. Pour in small measures, around four centilitres per glass, and serve ice separately so everyone can decide for themselves how much. For a classic sazerac you measure the rye out of the decanter and rinse the glass with absinthe. The rest of the kit is with the bar tools, from jiggers to long bar spoons.

Rinse the decanter and bottle with lukewarm water straight after use, because dried sugars from liqueur or lemonade cling stubbornly to glass. Let them drain upside down and only put the stopper back once everything is dry. The dishwasher is fine, but wedge them in firmly so they cannot topple over and knock against other glassware. Store them upright afterwards, with the stopper loose beside them.

The full range from this brand is at Zwiesel Glas. If you want matching glasses to go with it, take a look at the whisky glasses or the water glasses. For water in larger quantities there are water jugs, and an ice bucket keeps the ice within reach. If you pour water more often than spirits, the bottle alone is enough; the decanter is there for the evenings when something stronger comes to the table.