Brandy is served in a brandy goblet, champagne in a champagne flute, but whisky is shoved across the bar in anything from a tumbler or a shot glass to the fat little Paris goblet which graced every au…
Brandy is served in a brandy goblet, champagne in a champagne flute, but whisky is shoved across the bar in anything from a tumbler or a shot glass to the fat little Paris goblet which graced every auntie“s wedding in the seventies. This is because there is no definitive Scotch whisky glass. Whisky connoisseurs argue over the merits of heavy Swedish glasses for Scotch or Irish, balloon glasses for bourbon, or even a sherry copita for incurable snobs. Now Raymond Davidson and his sons Paul and Scott at UK-based Glencairn Crystal Studio believe they have produced the perfect whisky glass – and it has been endorsed by the whisky industry. Called the Blender“s Malt Glass, it goes into mass production in September. Sales director Paul Davidson said: “The first run will be 500,000 glasses. That will build to one million within six months. We have promised the first year“s production to the Scotch whisky industry for their own promotional purposes.” Glencairn has been producing decorated glassware for 20 years. It moved to its current premises under a relocation package five years ago and has a production facility and shop in Broxburn which specializes in Charles Rennie Mackintosh glassware. The East Kilbride factory produces everything from decanters to stem glasses using its own designs created by in-house artist Jim Drysdale. The glass is manufactured in France, Italy and Eastern Europe and engraved locally with messages and images for the corporate gift market. It is the biggest supplier of decanters to the whisky industry and the firm has a turnover of 2 million. It employs 14 people in East Kilbride and eight in Broxburn. Paul Davidson said the idea for the definitive whisky glass came from his father – a practised whisky drinker who now leaves much of the day-to-day operation to his sons – several years ago. “He went as far as producing a prototype,” said Davidson, “but he was building the business at the time and didn“t have the opportunity to follow it up. It lay in a corner for years. “One day, about eight months ago, I found it and he told me the story of it. As it happened, that day I was going to see master blender Richard Paterson of JJB Distillers, who noses whisky for Whyte & Mackay. “He confirmed there would be a demand for a true whisky glass and we discussed what its attributes should be. To be sure we were getting it right, I also took the idea to four other master blenders.” With the advice and guidance of Paterson, Robert Hicks of Allied Distillers, Robert McIlroy of UDV, John Ramsay of Highland Distillers, and David Stewart of Wm. Grant & Sons, Davidson and his artist came up with the Blender“s Malt Glass. It is a cross between the nosing glass – perfect for releasing the vapours but hard to drink from – and a satisfyingly heavy-based tumbler. Whisky Magazine editor Marcin Miller said: “The glass is masculine, heavy in the hand and outperformed much more expensive glasses. The time may finally have come when whisky has its own glass.” Davidson said: “My father“s dream is to see it as the standard glass that a customer who takes his whisky neat or with water will be given in every pub, bar or club.” The glass will be manufactured by J G Durand of France, which will also handle worldwide distribution under an agency agreement.