Libbey Inc. Master’s Reserve RENEWAL collection
When it comes to the alcohol industry, mixologists are catering to a generation that is the perfect “mix” of modern thinking and nostalgia. Millennials desire a personal connection with the products they interact with: they want to drink beer and spirits crafted at local breweries and distilleries.
Arc Cardinal BROADWAY collection
They want cocktail ingredients, such as bitters & produce, to be made in house or sourced locally. This generation looks for products and businesses that stay current with trends and technology, yet pay homage to a bygone era, taking timeless classics and redefining them.
Retro style designs recapture a time when life seemed elegant and enchanting, when the people presented themselves as nicely as the cocktails they ordered. For the bartender, retro glassware provides an emotional connection through an visually intense first impression. An elegant glass represents the quality of the drink the customer is about to consume, and looks as stunning as it did in the early 20th century.
Libbey Inc. Speakeasy glass
Of course, the glassware from the 1920’s and 30’s served a more functional purpose than merely the visual aesthetics. Coupes and Martini glasses featured a stem and were made for chilled drinks with no ice, so the consumer wouldn’t warm the drink by having their hands touch the glass. Collins and Highball glasses were made for drinks that were served with a lot of ice, or were mixed with carbonation, to limit the surface area and prevent the drink from going flat.
Today’s bartender combines style with functionality. He or she is looking to create a drink that adds an exciting twist to a classic cocktail, with a presentation that is also creative expression. Glassware companies have taken no time to meet such demands in the alcohol industry, such as Libbey Inc’s Master’s Reserve RENEWAL collection, Steelite’s MINNERS collection, Pasabahce’s TIMELESS collection or Arc Cardinal’s COUPES, BROADWAY, and NEW YORK collections.
Pasabahce TIMELESS collection
Libbey Inc., a glassware company that was a leader in the industry when cut glass was at its prime, has seen the evolution of glass and the many trends that have stormed the industry. Their Master’s Reserve RENEWAL collection resembles glassware during the Brilliant Period, an elegance that previously was only found during the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s.
Steelite International’s MINNERS collection brings to life the New York City club scene from the 1930’s and 40’s. When you look each piece of the collection, especially the infamous Nick and Nora glass, you cannot help but envision dapper gentlemen escorting their dazzling dates, sipping on cocktails in a Manhattan bar.
Arc Cardinal COUPES collection
Arc Cardinal’s BROADWAY and NEW YORK collections feature several styles of cut glass, and resemble a slightly different vintage scene. Every angle of glass sparkling in the light, adding a sense of brilliance to any cocktail or spirits on the rocks.
Steelite Etched Nick & Nora Glass, MINNERS collection
Pasabahce’s TIMELESS collection also features a variety of retro style glasses, presenting the drink in a vessel of stunning sophistication and style.
There are many options to upgrade your glassware to meet the desires of the Millennial generation, from Libbey Inc to Pasabahce, each bringing a unique style and differentiation to the table (bar) top. No matter the name, there is one thing these collections all have in common, a toast to year’s past, a raised glass to timeless classics. So your customers can raise their glass to gaze in wonder at the nostalgic elegance and creative cocktail presentation placed before them.
-G. Stegall
