Old fashioned glass facts for kids
The old fashioned glass is a type of short drinking glass. It's also called a rocks glass or lowball glass. People use it to serve spirits, like whisky, either plain (called "neat") or with ice cubes ("on the rocks"). This glass is also perfect for serving certain cocktails, especially the famous Old Fashioned drink.
What Makes an Old Fashioned Glass Special?
Old fashioned glasses usually have a wide opening and a thick bottom. This design is helpful when making cocktails. For example, you can easily mash ingredients like sugar cubes or fruit slices with a tool called a muddler right in the glass. This helps release their flavors before you add the main liquid ingredients.
Traditional Designs
Originally, true old fashioned glasses were made using a "cut glass" style. This means patterns were cut into the glass by hand. Today, most of these glasses are made using a "pressed glass" method. This involves pressing molten glass into a mold, which is a faster way to create the designs. The basic design for this type of glass comes from England, dating back to the late 1700s or 1800s. Glasses that look similar but have no patterns are simply called lowball glasses.
How Big Are They?
An old fashioned glass typically holds about 6 to 10 US fluid ounces (which is about 177 to 296 milliliters). If you see a "double old fashioned glass," sometimes called a "DOF" glass, it's bigger! These can hold about 12 to 16 US fluid ounces (around 355 to 473 milliliters).
