Cordial Glasses

No one can tell for sure, as to when and how these glasses came to be known as cordial glasses, though many believe it may have evolved from a simple gesture of cordiality as well as the fact that the host may not have been too willing to part with his liquor! Cordials on the other hand, are fruit flavored juices or beverages, which do not have any alcohol content in them. They are a specialty in Australia and New Zealand.

Cordials are sweet and need to be diluted with water or soda in order to be consumed, they need to be diluted because cordials have a very thick consistency and are saturated with sugar. Therefore the added water reduces the overall sweetness of the beverage. Cordial glasses are simply glasses that are used specifically for these non alcohol fruity drinks. Though, the rules can be bent as these glasses are often used for serving alcoholic drinks in bars and taverns, especially in the United States.

What are Cordial Glasses?
All glasses with stems are called cordial glasses. These glasses are much finer and thinner than normal glass vessels and a cordial glass is often referred to as the pony glass as well. There are many types such as colored and vintage glasses that come in various shapes and sizes. Then there are a wide range of crystal and etched stemmed glasses which look fabulous as well. The size of the stems may also vary, as there are short and stubby stemmed glasses as well. These glasses are smaller than wine glasses, these are often used during elegant social affairs such as cocktail parties in posh restaurants and hotels. The second type, that you may come across are the ones with delicate handles. They are narrow handles that differentiate itself from beer mugs or coffee mugs. These glasses do not have space for fingers and are supposed to be held very gently, in order to add to its classy appeal. These glasses are made to hold small quantities of drinks at a time, they do not have a capacity of more than 2-3 ounces of liquid.

While serving fruit juice, the glass is supposed to be filled completely while leaving a respectable area unfilled neat the brim. Though, while serving alcoholic drinks these glasses are supposed to be only half filled, that being the sole reason why these glasses have been given the short name of pony glasses, due to the small quantities of alcohol they are supposed to contain. This makes these glasses the perfect choice for parties as well as large gatherings as these glasses restrict the alcohol content, which lets the hosts have some control over their alcohol stock. The other huge advantage is that the guests get time to decide how much would they like to consume, which help in preventing them from getting overly drunk, as the objective of the party is to have an elegant time and not an overly intoxicated social gathering.

The short stemmed or no stem glasses are often used for serving non alcoholic fruity drinks. Long stemmed glasses can be used for serving alcoholic beverages such as wines, champagne, tequila as well as cocktails. Small umbrella hats can be placed in these glasses so as to give them a tropical appeal. These days tip-less glasses are also available, which can be fixed on to the tray and can be served with ease to the guests. The designer of this brilliant new design is E. Scott Denison of Designsource.

Cordial glasses are by far the most versatile among the other glasses, as they offer a lot and bring a lot more to the table. They come in splendid regal colors such as red, green, blue, yellow and white. These can be handled by children as well, though with care so as to make sure that they do not break them. The best part about these glasses is that they can be given away as gifts, as wedding favors, as well as used for almost all occasions, may it be a birthday celebrations, promotion party, Christmas, Hanukkah or even a quiet romantic dinner. So go ahead and get yourself a set or two, to have and hold!