Archive for the ‘Glass’ Category
Wine Glass 101
Wine glasses are the specific type of glass stemware that is used to drink and taste various kinds of wine. Selecting the appropriate type of wine glass is very important because the shape can influence how each individual perceives different variations of wine.
If you are getting ready to start your stemware collection, here are a few informative explanations of what type of glass is best suited for different types of wine. There are generally three standard variations of wine glasses; glasses designed for red wine, white wine, and champagne or sparkling wine. The different glasses are designed specifically to suite each type of wine and bring out the best characteristics of each. While each type of glass can have it’s own unique variations, generally speaking there are specific characteristics that categorize each wine glass.
Regardless of the type of wine you are drinking, you should always select a glass with a stem. The stem of a glass is not only visually stunning; it is also a functional feature of the glass itself. The stem of a wine glass provides the proper place to hold the glass without warming the wine from the body heat produced by your hands.
The red wine glass is generally characterized by a wide, round bowl. Red wine is typically best when it has been exposed to the air and allowed to “breathe” or oxidize. The wider rounder bowl of the red wine glass allows for this process of oxidization to take place. Allowing red wine to breathe like this can subtly alter the flavor and aroma of red wine, which is a desired effect of the shape of the wine glass.
There are a wide variety of white wine glasses as well. Some white wine glasses, like those used to drink Chardonnay, can often resemble red wine glasses in their wide, round shape because some white wines are best when slightly oxidized (much like red wine). Other lighter, crisper styles of white wine are best served in a glass with a smaller opening, or mouth, so the rate of oxidization is slower, thus preserving the clean flavor.
In addition to the standard red and white wine glasses, there are also champagne flutes that are designed with a very small opening at the mouth of the glass to keep champagne and sparkling wine sparkling and full of their trademark bubbles. They should also have a stem to keep the drinker from transferring body heat to the bubbly concoction.
Wine connoisseurs can build their collection of stemware with a budget that suits them individually. There are high-end crystal collections that can cost upwards of $1000 all the way to standard glass collections for the more budget conscious at retail stores such as Target or Wal-Mart that are less than $20. Regardless of how much you spend on your stemware, the most important thing is that you enjoy your wine in a glass that suits your personal style and taste.
The Martini: As American as Apple Pie
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The martini is an iconic cocktail traditionally made with gin and vermouth and typically garnished with a green olive or a twist of lemon. A standard martini usually is made by combining two ounces of gin and one half ounce of dry vermouth over ice that is then shaken or stirred according to the preference of the drinker, strained, and poured neat (without ice) in a frozen cocktail glass. The martini is a classic American drink that has inspired many martini-like drink creations.
The cocktail, or martini, glass is as iconic as the drink itself. A traditional martini glass is a stemmed glass with a cone-shaped bowl and a flat base. The glass is stemmed, much like a wine glass, so the drinker can hold the glass by the stem without affecting the temperature of the drink with the warmth of their hands. A standard martini or cocktail glass is about 250 mL. A variation on this is a double martini glass that has a taller cone and a wider opening. Drinks served in martini glasses should always be served neat. If you want ice-cold drinks, the martini glass can be frozen a few hours ahead of time.
While the traditional martini recipe is four parts gin to one part vermouth, there are many new variations on this. The vodka martini (or Vodkatini) is an increasingly popular variation on the standard gin martini. A vodka martini is concocted by combining vodka, gin, sambuca, and vermouth. The mixture is then shaken or stirred, strained, and served neat.
Vodka-based martini creations are quite popular because vodka is a neutral flavor that lends itself nicely to being mixed with a variety of other ingredients resulting in a number of flavored martinis. Martini purists likely do not consider these flavored concoctions martinis, but they are increasingly popular among drinkers. Some popular variations are the dirty martini, the apple martini, and the chocolate martini.
The dirty martini can be mixed with either gin or vodka. Olive brine is used instead of vermouth, thus making the martini “dirty.” A dirty martini is often garnished with three green olives, instead of just one, to accentuate the olive flavor of the dirty drink.
An apple martini can be made with a variety of mixers. Vodka can be mixed with apple juice, apple cider, or apple liqueur. The apple martini has become so popular that many popular brands of vodka have created special apple infused vodkas, like Smirnoff’s Green Apple Twist Vodka. One popular apple martini recipe calls for two ounces vodka mixed with one ounce of Apple Pucker Schnapps or apple juice. For extra apple flavor, replace the standard vodka with an apple flavored vodka.
A chocolate martini is a popular desert drink. To make a chocolate martini, you need chocolate liqueur, crème de cacao, vodka, and half-and-half. Mix one and a half ounce of chocolate liqueur, one and a half ounce of crème de cacao, a half ounce of vodka, and two ounces of half-and-half over ice, shake, strain, and serve in a chilled cocktail glass.
There are many other variations on the traditional martini recipe. Regardless of how you drink your martini, whether it is shaken or stirred, or if you enjoy a gin or vodka martini, the martini itself is a classic American cocktail.