Luigi Bormioli Michelangelo

These three belong to the end of the meal and not the beginning, and that explains their sizes. The 19 cl port glass is small because a serving of fortified wine is around seven centilitres, and in a larger glass that looks meagre. The 39.5 cl cognac glass seems exaggerated for three centilitres, but the empty space above the drink is where the aroma gathers. The 26.5 cl master tumbler is the size in between, suited to whisky and to water.

Cognac does not call for a flame. Warm the glass with the palm of your hand rather than with fire, because alcohol that evaporates too quickly stings the nose and drowns out the rest. Pour two to three centilitres, tilt the glass until the drink almost touches the rim, and only then smell it. Serve port cooler than you would think, at around sixteen degrees. The tumbler takes an old fashioned, or a godfather of whisky and amaretto over ice.

Luigi Bormioli tempers the glass after forming, which makes the rim and the stem withstand hundreds of dishwasher cycles. More important still is the treatment against clouding: ordinary soda-lime glass turns milky over time as the dishwasher attacks it, and this series holds on to its clarity for longer. Still, run a short programme and rinse well, because limescale in the water remains limescale.

The brand's full range can be found at Luigi Bormioli, from the wine bowls to the carafes. If you search by shape, you will find Michelangelo among the whiskey glasses and the port glasses, where it stands next to series from other brands. If you serve whisky at the table more often, a whiskey decanter keeps the bottle out of sight and the drink within reach.