The Glencairn Glass is a style of glass developed by Glencairn Crystal Ltd, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 for drinking whisky

Whisky

Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...

. Originally designed by Raymond Davidson, managing director of the company, the shape of the glass is derived from the traditional nosing copitas used in whisky labs around Scotland. The glass design was concluded with the aid of Master blender

Master blender

A master blender is an individual who decides on the composition of blended spirits. For example, in the Scotch whisky industry, master blenders choose which single malts and grain whiskies are combined to make particular blended whisky. An important objective is often to maintain consistency over...

s from five of the largest whisky companies in Scotland. The glass first came into production in 2001.

The glass is approximately 115 mm in height and has been available in three variations: 24% lead crystal

Lead glass

Lead glass is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Lead glass contains typically 18–40 weight% lead oxide , while modern lead crystal, historically also known as flint glass due to the original silica source, contains a minimum of 24% PbO...

, lead-free crystal and soda-lime glass

Soda-lime glass

Soda-lime glass, also called soda-lime-silica glass, is the most prevalent type of glass, used for windowpanes, and glass containers for beverages, food, and some commodity items...

. The vast majority of glasses in circulation are of the lead-free crystal variety. The soda-lime variation was discontinued in 2008.

In 2006 the glass won the Queen's Award

Queen's Awards for Enterprise

The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme for British businesses and other organizations who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. They are the highest official UK awards for British businesses...

 for innovation.

The Glencairn Glass is not the only glass on the market that is designed specifically for drinking whisky. (For example, Riedel also manufactures such glassware.) While there are numerous styles of such glasses available, the Glencairn is the first style to be endorsed by the Scotch Whisky Association

Scotch Whisky Association

The Scotch Whisky Association is a trade organisation that represents the Scotch whisky industry. The Scotch whisky industry is an important part of the Scottish economy, and particularly the Scottish export market.-Structure:...

, and it is used by every whisky company in Scotland and Ireland.

Old Fashioned

Old fashioned glass

The Old Fashioned glass, lowball glass, or rocks glass is a short tumbler used for serving an alcoholic beverage, such as whisky, with ice cubes...

 tumblers, snifter

Snifter

A snifter — also called a balloon — is a type of stemware, a short-stemmed glass whose vessel has a wide bottom and a relatively narrow top. It is mostly used to serve aged brown spirits such as brandy and whisky...

s, and nosing copitas are other types of glasses that are commonly used for drinking whisky. The traditional style of whisky glass is a cut crystal Old Fashioned whisky tumbler, an iconic design that remains the most commonly used type of whisky glass. However, a tumbler does not hold and focus the aromas as much for the experience of the drinker as the other styles, which curve inwards towards the top of the glass. While not all drinkers may find the strong aroma produced by such glasses desirable, inward-curved glasses are often preferred by connoisseurs who consider the aroma especially important to the experience of a whisky.

External links

• Glencairn Glass U.S. Design Patent (Publication Date: June 25, 2002, Filing Date: Sept. 26, 2001, Term: 14 years
  Design patent
  In the United States, a design patent is a patent granted on the ornamental design of a functional item. Design patents are a type of industrial design right. Ornamental designs of jewelry, furniture, beverage containers and computer icons are examples of objects that are covered by design...
  
  from the date of issue.)