First, any home should have nice cocktail glasses that can also be used to serve chilled creamy dishes and mousse.

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Another classic of glassware is the wine taster�s glass. This is a small glass with a long neck and a narrow mouth. It is good for serving different kinds of sherry, and for Sauternes or a Pedro Ximenez wine as an aperitif, or a sweet wine with dessert. Buy them a bit on the large size and they are just right for sampling wine before serving it at the table.

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Beer and other cold drinks are served in glasses or mugs that are chilled beforehand in the refrigerator. This enhances the sensation of cold that is so pleasing when we drink beer, either draught or out of a bottle. That is, unless you like Mexican beer,� which is often drunk right out of the bottle, with a piece of lime stuffed down its neck.

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A short, wide glass is good for drinking wine, cider, vermouth or other aperitifs, including soft drinks. This way they are easy to store and don�t take up much space.

As for glasses, there is news to report. The custom of the water glass being bigger than the wine glass is out. Colored glasses are out as well. These days they should be clear, and if possible without any kind of engraving or other decoration other than on the stem or base. They should all be of the same size and made of crystal. That way, if they get marked up you can fix that by polishing them a bit.

Large glasses are in these days, especially in prestigious restaurants. It seems that the older or more expensive a wine is, the larger the glass used to drink it must be. Indeed, don�t fill it up too much. Pour just enough to cover the bottom of the glass so you can swish it slowly and carry out that grand ceremony of the senses and enjoy the wine�s color, aroma and flavor. The glasses can be round or more elongated, although this depends on each person�s taste and where the glasses are going to be stored. You should keep this in mind because they do take up a lot of space, be it in a closet,� cabinet or on the table. But you should have them because the latest fad is also to use them to serve drinks like gin and tonic or rum and coke, with lots of ice.

Chimney glasses are also used for soft drinks and beverages with alcohol. Shooter glasses are best for chilled vodka and liqueurs. Naturally whisky is served in squat glasses although you can also use Napoleon-type snifters usually reserved for brandy and other top-of-the-shelf drinks.

Champagne glasses are important and the kind that adapt best to sparkling wine are the fluted ones. They let you enjoy watching the bubbles rise, and are great for romantic settings. The short, tulip-shaped ones are no long used that often, unless you want to do that wedding trick and build a pyramid out of them, pouring bubbly from the top and making a mess in the process. If you still have them around the house they are fine for serving peach melba.

Perfect glassware

Storing glasses properly will make them last and look good on the table. Store them upside down, on top of a cotton or felt cloth to prevent scratching them. You must also wash them correctly. The higher the quality of the glasses the further you must keep them from the dishwasher, so they won�t break. If you absolutely must put them in the dishwasher, rinse them afterward and let them dry a bit, but not completely. With the glasses still a bit wet, dry them with a cloth or a lint-free white napkin. They will look great.

If you wash the glasses by hand, don�t use scouring pads. Use a soft sponge and liquid soap so as not to scratch them. After rinsing, drying them the same way as above. Make sure there are no soap stains. And of course, dust them off before using them again.

After hearing all this, some might think it�s easier to just drink out of the bottle or pull out their old canteen or bota bag.