Rum glasses at the table of starred gastronomic restaurants

For rum lovers and lovers of high gastronomy, Bestwine – Online shares the brands and references of rum glasses present at the table of the most beautiful addresses of high gastronomy. For this purpose, Bestwine – Online has compiled a list of rum glasses selected by chefs, sommeliers, bartenders and waiters of starred gastronomic restaurants. This is an opportunity for everyone to find and buy the best rum glasses to enjoy a good rum according to the professionals of the high gastronomy.

The best rum glasses

With Bestwine – Online, the reference of the best rum glasses:

• Enjoy rum in the perfect glass.
• Offer a rum glass or a set of rum glasses of exception.
• Enrich your bar and your tableware with prestigious rum glasses.
• Discover all the information to know more about rum glasses and their specificities in order to easily choose your rum glass.

Best brands of rum glasses

Refer to the opinions of chefs, sommeliers and bartenders from starred gourmet restaurants around the world to discover the best rum glass brands in the world. A classification and comparison of rum glasses selected in starred gastronomic restaurants by experts in the field of high gastronomy.

Reference of the rum glass	Rum glass brand	Capacity of the rum glass	Material of the rum glass	Type of rum glass
Rum glass with stem Chef & Sommelier	Chef & Sommelier	17 cl	Glass	Rum glass with stem
Rum glass tulip Chef & Sommelier	Chef & Sommelier	10 cl	Glass	Tulip rum glass

The rum glass

Definition of a rum glass: the rum glass is a glass container of the tumbler type (glass with a flat bottom and a wide perimeter), tulip type (glass with a stubby stem and a narrow neck with or without a stem) or tasting glass type (glass with a bottom marked with a dome and a thin neck). The rum glass is a container for tasting rum. The rum glass can be made of glass or crystal. The rum glass is to be considered as a punch glass or a planter glass.

The rum glass allows :

• To pour easily the beverage in the container.
• To observe the texture of rum in particular via the flow of the liquid on the edges of the glass.
• To smell the beverage inside the glass.
• To taste the rum easily.

Rum glasses have been produced in glass factories for centuries. It is important to know that man began making glass about 5,000 years ago, in the Fertile Crescent region and the Nile Valley. The first glasses made exclusively for the tasting of rum date only several centuries for their part. Rum glasses have been made by man since the 14th century. The first creations of rum glasses were produced in Murano, Italy, where glass artisans worked. It is from the 19th century that the bourgeoisie is equipped massively with services of rum glasses. Today, rum glasses are for the most part industrially manufactured.

Rum is a fine drink of prestige. Rum can be enjoyed all over the world. Rum is also produced in many regions on the globe like Martinique or Cuba. Rum is also different types of beverages such as white rum, amber rum, old rum or agricultural rum. The famous arranged rum can also be drunk in classic rum glasses. The rum, by its gustative specificities, requires to be tasted in an atypical glass gathering several criteria. It is therefore necessary to choose a good rum glass in order to enjoy the excellence of the best rums.

Choosing a rum glass

Rum can be drunk in a wine glass, a tumbler or a shot glass. However, the technicality of a good rum requires the use of an atypical glass, the famous rum glass.

Most rum glasses have two parts: a chalice and a base. The chalice, also called the container or goblet, is the upper part of the rum glass. Other rum glasses have a stem and a base.

The chalice is composed of the “buvant” which corresponds to the contour of the rum glass. It is also known as the opening or rim more familiarly. It is the highest extremity of the rum glass on which the lips of the drinker come to rest to pour the rum into his mouth. The thinner the drinker, the better the rum glass is considered to be.

The chalice consists of a part called the chimney. The chimney is the upper part of the glass under the rim. The chimney is so called because it is a part whose diameter narrows progressively to the rim. The tighter the neck and the lip, the more concentrated the rum’s aromas, scents and essences will be and the easier it will be for the taster to analyze. However, a chimney and a buoyant too tightened can prevent the good aeration of rum. This is why it is necessary to choose a glass and a chimney that are tight enough to concentrate the aromas and wide enough to allow the good aeration of the beverage in the bottle.

Then, the shoulder of the rum glass is the widest part at the bottom of the chalice. A rum glass shoulder can be more or less wide, more or less rounded, more or less angular and more or less curved. A curved and rounded shoulder is the norm for a rum glass. The cylindrical shape allows the rum to be better viewed and rotated to observe it and promote the blooming of its aromas. Also, the curved shape of the rum glass allows for a better reception of the beverage when it is poured which avoids possible projections of drops of rum out of the container, which could be the case if the bottom of the rum glass were flat. The rum glass is tilted when serving by the glass to receive the contents of a bottle or carafe. Thanks to its cylindrical shape, the glass hugs the liquid that is poured into it, helping it to breathe when in contact with the glass and the air.

Although rarer, there are also rum glasses with a stem and a foot like the wine glass. The stemmed glass is becoming increasingly popular with rum experts.

The stem, foot or leg of the rum glass is the junction between the chalice and the base of the glass. It is the thinnest, longest part of the entire rum glass. The part that connects the gob and the top of the stem is called the knob. The stem of the rum glass can be thicker or thinner. The stem of the rum glass must be thin enough to enhance its aesthetic appearance but thick enough to maintain its strength. This is also the case for the chalice, which must be thin but thick enough to resist physical stress.

When the rum glass has a stem, the lowest part of the chalice is called the parison. The goblet is what is considered the bottom of the rum glass with stem. A glass bottom with a large diameter helps the rum to oxygenate. The goblet also allows the rum to be observed with a reduced concentration compared to the other parts of the chalice.

The base of the rum glass is the lowest part of the whole rum glass. The base of the rum glass is also called the base. Flat (for rum glasses without stems) or conical (for rum glasses with stems), the base of the rum glass must allow the container to stabilize on the support where it is placed. The base of the rum glass must be wide enough to stabilize the whole container

There are several types of rum glasses:

• Rum tumbler: This is a table glass with a wide perimeter. Tumbler rum glasses often have a long wide rim and neck and a more or less thick bottom. The rum glass, thanks to its width and height, allows the integration of ice cubes in the rum for consumers who appreciate fresh rum. This is known as “rum on the rocks” (which translates as “rum on the rocks”). However, purists often prefer dry rum, which means no other ingredients or elements other than rum. The standard volume of rum glasses is 15 cl to 60 cl. Rum glasses of the tumbler type are sometimes decorated with patterns engraved on the glass. The chalice of the tumbler rum glass is usually long or curved. These glasses are also used for drinking whiskey.
• Tulip Rum Glass: The tulip rum glass is a thin glass with a thick stem that allows you to hold the glass by the stem to better visually appreciate the texture of the rum without putting your hand directly on the body of the glass. The tulip glass has a wider shoulder of the chalice allowing to see the variations of the rum’s color according to its concentration. The capacity of the tulip glass is approximately 175 ml. Finally, the tulip glass has a thin neck to concentrate the rum’s fragrance to the nose of the person who tastes it
• Rum glass with stem: The rum glass with stem can have a curved or tulip-shaped chalice. The rum glass with stem has a stem between the base and the chalice. The rum glass with stem makes it possible to better develop the rum visually on a table by arranging the chalice at eye level. Also, the stem makes it easier to handle the glass without putting your fingers on the chalice, which can dirty the glass with fingerprints or heat the chalice with body heat. The size of the stem of a rum glass can vary and be more or less large.
• The rum tasting glass: the rum tasting glass is a rum glass with a wide bottom, a wide chalice and a stem that gradually narrows. The rum tasting glass has a bottom marked by a central dome. This allows the rum to breathe better when it is poured into the glass. The rum, when it is poured into this type of glass, hits the dome which favors the contact of the beverage with oxygen which allows the rum to air. The dome at the bottom of the rum tasting glass also allows you to see the texture of the rum as the drops flow. The rum tasting glass often has a support adapted to the shape of the glass. The stand, which can be made of metal or wood, follows the shape of the dome at the bottom of the glass to stabilize it. The rum tasting glass is often used by experts in tasting but it is also suitable for novices to discover rum.

The right rum glass

Aesthetically, there are many versions of rum glasses. However, the simplest and most basic rum glasses are often the most suitable for drinking rum. Indeed, the rum glass must be used to enhance the beverage. The rum glass should not be too extravagant to highlight the rum. The best rum glasses have a simple and uncluttered design most of the time. The rum glass should preferably not have any engraved or printed patterns on the glass. This can make it difficult to see the rum in the glass. Also, a rum glass should be translucent and colorless to better visualize the color of the beverage.

The rum glass has the particularity of having a universal design that evolves little over time.

It is customary to say that the thinner the rum glass, the better the quality. In fact, the quality of a glass can be judged by the fineness of the glass, which demonstrates the elegance of the product. The fineness of the rum glass makes it easier to observe the texture of the rum as the drops flow over the rim of the chalice. The thinness of the rum glass also contributes to the lightness of the container, which is an important point. A light rum glass is a rum glass that is easy to handle.

For an amber rum, old rum or strong and powerful rum, it is necessary to choose a glass whose chimney is long in order to concentrate the flavours.

For a white rum and thus less aromatic, a glass with a wider neck can be chosen.

It is important to know that there is no ideal size for a rum glass. The capacity of a rum glass varies between 15 cl and 60 cl most of the time.

The rum glass must have a rim or neck thinner than the shoulder of the chalice (the shoulder of the rum glass is the widest part at the bottom of the chalice).

The price of a good rum glass can fluctuate. The rum glass can be sold individually or as a set (rum glass service). When the rum glass is sold individually, it is usually more expensive than a rum glass sold as a set. Therefore, it may be preferable to purchase a rum glass as a set. Often rum glasses are sold in sets of 3, 4 or 6. Generally, a rum glass at the top of the range unit costs between ten euros and several tens of euros. The material of which the glass is made can make the price fluctuate, especially crystal which is more expensive. Likewise, the original creations of rum glasses will be more expensive. Today, there is a majority of industrially manufactured rum glasses to the detriment of handcrafted rum glasses.

A good rum glass must be solid and resist to shocks and successive washings without seeing the quality of the glass or crystal deteriorate.

A good rum glass can be made of glass or crystal. Crystal is certainly a fine and high-end component which has advantages over glass such as light refraction (crystal is brighter than glass) and resistance (crystal, contrary to popular belief, is stronger than glass). Crystal rum glasses are however heavier than glass and more expensive. The difference between crystal and glass rum glasses is not significant. That’s why the best rum glasses can be made of either glass or crystal. These materials also have the advantage of not affecting the taste of the liquids they touch.

There are several brands of rum glasses known and recognized as Peugeot, Schott Zwiesel, Riedel, Normann, Copenhagen, Littala or Orrefors.

Rum by the glass

Rum by the glass can be enjoyed as an aperitif and sometimes as a digestif. Rum by the glass can also be enjoyed with dessert. In starred gastronomic restaurants, the glass of rum is chosen for its performance and elegance. The glass of rum must be a container which allows to magnify the rum so that it expresses its gustatory identity.

The rum is initially looked at after being poured into the glass. It is necessary to observe its flow on the walls of the glass to observe its behaviour and the color of its dress. Then, you have to smell the rum by swirling the contents around the edges of the glass. To taste the rum, it is recommended to taste a few drops at first to familiarize the palate and then drink more of the beverage.

In starred gourmet restaurants, chefs, sommeliers, bartenders and waiters are constantly on the lookout for the most suitable rum glasses to enjoy this alcoholic drink. You can take advantage of their experience and expertise to discover the best rum glasses according to these professionals.

In the art of the table, rum is served at the height of the break of the glass, that is to say where the glass is the widest at the shoulder.

An authentic classification and comparison to choose your rum glass

The selection of the best rum glasses