Tiki Glassware

Give a tropically warm welcome to a glass that is perfectly designed to capture all the elements making tiki such a hot theme in today’s cocktail scene. While most tumblers are straight, the curvaceous Tiki Split sits nicely in the hand. Thanks to its fine rim, straws (particularly the plastic kind) are no longer needed to enjoy your favorite tiki cocktail. The shape is also ideal for the ingredients of typical tiki cocktails, with their extravagant garnishes, audacious flourishes like smoke and fire, and ingredients that evoke sultry tropical evenings such as rum, tequila and pisco. The Tiki Split gets its name from its two faces: on one side there’s the Polynesian icon’s ferocious frown, but turn him round and he’s all smiles! But what do we choose when it's a classic cocktail? So many classic cocktails are known by the glass it is served in we sometimes imagine what was first, the glass or the drink. The cocktail scene has long been an unmissable feature of the world’s major cities and hot spots. And now it’s conquering smaller towns, sleepy backwaters and even people’s homes. But as social media drives a trend towards increasingly weird and wonderful cocktail experiences, so many bars are creating cocktails involving extravagant ‘new’ recipes, bizarre glassware and lavish garnishes. On the other hand, as the experts say, you can’t go wrong with a classic cocktail. They’re timeless and will never go out of style. So it’s good to see that lately quality bartenders and bars around the world are refocusing on the essence and history of the cocktails they serve. Going back to fundamentals, with the drink itself at the heart of the experience, and using garnishes only where they enhance a recipe. This counter-trend of delivering minimalistic drinks in classic cocktail glasses is one that Libbey celebrates. After all, Libbey is one of the glassware companies at the birth of the cocktail industry and today they continue to develop designs inspired by that rich tradition. So is it time to return to the stylish recipes and elegant glass designs that have made the cocktail what it is today? While the recipes remain the same the glass we use is optional, if you are making a classic, use a classic glass. If not then the world is your oyster with so much to choose from in the world of cocktail glassware.