Tuesday 5 November 2019

A very specific drinking glass


If you have a few thousand quince going to waste, here is how to use at least two of them. Someone gave me three the other day. My bottle should be ready for Christmas.

Ratafia was traditionally drunk in the above form of glass. I would love to, but I cannot justify the £1,250 it would cost me to get one.




Here we go. One litre.


This is the glass H.I. uses every Christmas. A 1740, tear-stemmed cordial glass. I love it.

19 comments:

  1. I would have tried this, had you published it earlier.

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    1. Your season begins and ends about a month earlier than here.

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  2. I love the glass! So pretty

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  3. Replies
    1. No. Nothing to do with the Jacobites. About 80% of Jacobite glasses on the market are fakes. Real 18th century glasses but engraved much later.

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  4. If you saw the rate at which I chip things (I have Benign Essential Tremor) you would know why I never take my few 'good' glasses out of the cupboard these days.

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    1. Oh well Weave, they are only glasses after all. If you had ones worth over £500 then I don't blame you for not using them. My every day Georgian glasses are between £50 and £200 to replace, but I want to use them rather than keep them in a cupboard.

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  5. H.I.'s glass has survived a long time.

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    1. Yes. That is part of the fascination - that these glasses should survive so long in the hands of drunkards.

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  6. Sounds rather delicious! I think I'll take this recipe for a whirl when quinces come back next year.

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    1. I'll let you know about my concoction in December.

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  7. Ok, I can't resist. The air twist stemmed one is nice, but if you must have Georgian, I like your lady's style!

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    1. The top one is opaque twist. Strands of white glass were imported from Venice and incorporated into European glass during the blowing process. The 'tears' of the other glasses were simply made by prodding a sharp iron into the stem of the glass when semi-molten and before they were drawn to full length. I prefer plain glasses too.

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    2. 'Air twists' were made by prodding a series of multiple spikes into the stem before drawing them out. I love the idea that 18th century air is trapped forever in those bubbles.

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    3. The white glass spirals were also known as 'cotton twists'.

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  8. Haha! Yep, white glass indeed on closer inspection. I did notice the bubble in the stem as well, very simple and classy. I have numerous 18th century Salviati glasses, but never touch the stuff with an animal or suchlike for a stem. Didn't know the cotton stem reference though, learn something every day.

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