1954 Practical Bar Management by Eddie Clarke

PRACTICAL BAR MANAGEMENT

The trade name given to all the various types of stemmed glasses is"Stemware and, as in all other crafts, one will pay more for the skill of the individual than for anything that is mass-produced, hence the fact that whilst hand-blown stemware is much better in appearance than the machine made, it is also at the same time, much more expensive. It is worth while noting that, when purchasing stemware,there are a few little pitfalls to be wary of—when one is forewarned, one is therefore forearmed, and careful selection will avoid being a victim of any such source of danger. This warning will apply first in respect of design, meaning that it is advisable to choose a standard type of glass that can easily be replaced, instead of an ornate one which would be difficult to match up, unless, of course, it is possible to buy up a good reserve of stock to allow for the extremely high percentage of breakages which is common to almost every bar. Otherwise, as so often happens on going into a bar and remarking on the few nice glasses displayed on the shelves, one receives a reply such as this:"Yes, they are nice aren'tthey ? butthose are all we have left ",thereby admitting the fact that these stalwarts are the sole survivors. Particular attention must be paid to the build ofthe glass. The mouth, for example, should not be too large over the base, otherwise when full it will have the tendency to overbalance at the least touch, but at the same time it must be wide enough to drink from in comfort. Moving down the glass, take note of the stem—is it easy to hold ? Or does its short stubby shape make this difficult and cramp the fingers, so that the index one is compelled to rest against the bowl ? Then, again, there is the very extreme design of stem, which is much too long and slender for everyday use in a busy bar, as it is much too fragile and will help to swell the breakage list to amazing proportions. Take careful notice of how the glass stands on its base, because if it rocks that is a sign ofpoor moulding and will be doubly dangerous when it is full of liquid. The Best Type of Tumbler Just a word about the tumbler type of glass,these should not be direct descendants of a jam-jar 1 Instead buy reasonably thin ones which will polish to a high standard and therefore enhance

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