Paşabahçe Nessie

Between them the two sizes cover almost the whole day. The 24 cl tumbler is low and wide, and suits water with a meal, juice at breakfast and a drink with a single cube of ice. The 34 cl long drink glass is noticeably taller and takes three or four ice cubes with a soft drink or tonic on top. The wavy wall makes both sizes feel thicker than their capacity suggests, which gives them a firm grip in the hand. Anyone laying a full table takes a set of each size, so the low one stands next to the plate and the tall one beside it for longer drinks.

Fill the tumbler to a couple of centimetres below the rim, so the relief stays visible above the liquid; that is where the effect sits. In the long drink glass, add the ice first and then the drink, so the waves hold the cubes in place and the drink chills immediately. A gin and tonic with a slice of lime looks good in this glass, and for something sweeter a Tequila Sunrise works well, its colour gradient standing out all the more through the waves.

Pasabahce tempers its hospitality glass, which means the wall is under tension and copes better with temperature changes than ordinary pressed glass. The glasses can go on a normal dishwasher programme. When unloading, watch the wavy wall: it catches water in the hollows, so tilting it briefly before putting it in the cupboard saves you limescale marks. Drying off with linen keeps the relief clear.

If you want to see the wider range from this brand, it is in the Pasabahce collection. For more choice in the same shape, look at the long drink glasses and the tumblers. Looking for glass with comparable relief from France? Then the La Rochère glasses are the logical next step. If you mix your own drinks, a jigger measures more accurately than the eye.