You don’t need us to tell you how creative bartenders and baristas are at making drinks but what about vessels? Well, wouldn’t you know, it turns out they’re pretty clever in that department too. It makes sense when you think about it. Who better than the alchemists behind the drinks to dream up the best receptacles to serve them in?
That’s the premise behind the Glassology by Libbey competition. And a jolly good one it is too.
This unique annual competition gives drinks professionals a unique opportunity to flex their design muscles to dream up a piece of glassware that’s not only the bomb in the looks department but ticks the functionality and durability boxes as well. And should they win, their design goes into production with 250 pieces heading their way. Not only that, there’s also a trip to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans where they will take on the role of Glassology Ambassador. Nice.
Little wonder why 350 people from 50 different countries entered this year’s competition. The hard part was deciding who would make the short list… After six months, some tweaks here and there and much deliberation on the judges part, we’re now down to the final six. To say we’re excited is an understatement – we’re talking about six totally new glass designs ranging from a seemingly simple but elegant coupe to a contraption specially conceived to cradle a the perfect ice ball. And they’re all absolute stunners.
Have a look at their designs and see if you can predict who the winner might be. Then let’s compare notes on Monday 28th May when we’ll be on the judging panel along with Simon Difford, Tara Garnell, Diego Ferrari, Frauke Timmermans and last year’s winner, Robert Schinkel at the Perfect Bar Show in Amsterdam. We do know one result from the day though: boring glassware (0), exciting times ahead (6).
