Friday, December 9, 2011

Verified Current Where to buy Nick&Nora Cocktail Glasses

I now have a verified current online source for the classic Nick & Nora Cocktail Glass! (Verified by ordering a half dozen which arrived yesterday.)

I apologize for leading you astray in my recent post on where to buy Nick and Nora cocktail glasses, which turned out to lead only to a defunct dead end, but my mistake was not for naught.  Indeed, on that post, the eminently helpful commenter Rick directed me to Tabletop Style, which sells the lovely glasses, which are, as Rick observes, "reasonably priced at $6.25 each...very sturdy and cleanly made." I would concur with that sentiment. I daresay they are even finer than the Nick and Nora Martini glasses I purchased a few years back I was originally trying to lead you to, being both more sturdy and more elegant. (You can see my previous post for more info on my search for the elusive glasses.)

These Nick&Nora cocktail glasses are part of Minners Classic Cocktails line, made by Steelite International. I don't know much about the history, but I gather that it is a fairly new line of glassware which has cropped up due to the recent cocktail revival. This pdf from Steelite.com (created 6/2/2011), indicates the Minners Classic Cocktails line as a new product. It's not just the Nick and Nora glass that is worthwhile, the Paris Coupe Champagne and Martini Saucer are pretty cool as well, I picked up a couple of those with my order.
(These two images are shots from steelite's pdf.)
They call the Nick & Nora glass 6 oz, and you can maybe fit a full 6 oz pouring right up to the rim and counting the meniscus, but I'd say 5 oz pretty much fills her, and 4 oz is a comfortable pour, looking neither generous nor stingy. Note this observation is a good thing, not a knock; who wants a 6 oz martini? If you, either you are drinking it too fast or you like warm booze. In short, it's a good fit for a proper cocktail. To compare it to the other version I have, that appears to be no longer in production, they are pretty much the same size, but the Steelite glass is thicker and has a much more gently sloping neck.
Steelite Minners on left, old one of unknown origin on right.
The Pegu Club in NYC, as I observed in this post, in the past used the same apparently defunct glass I had, but have switched to a new glass. I can't be sure, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd bet that their current glasses are in fact from Steelite. Here's a quick pic I took in October, what do you think, same glass?
Nick&Nora in recent use at Pegu Club, NYC
One difference between Pegu's Nick and Nora Glass and the ones I received is that mine came branded with markings on the base, one "MCC" stamp and "RONA" opposite:
I assume "MCC" is for Minners Classis Cocktail, and as for Rona, from the Steelite pdf:
Established over 100 years ago, Rona still retains its historical links with the village in which it was founded. A century later Rona is recognized as one of the worlds leading manufacturers of non-lead crystal stemware.
But those don't bother me, and I imagine Pegu just special orders without the markings for their service. Anyway, they are fun glasses, and an interesting glass just adds that little special touch to the cocktail experience. You might think I'm crazy for going on this long about a glass, but let's be honest, if you've read this far your probably just as touched in the same way. I searched long and hard to find them, which makes getting them in my hot little hand all the more satisfying. Hope this helps expedite your search. And if nothing else, they'd make a great gift this holiday season for that cocktail obsessed friend of yours.
From http://www.tabletopstyle.com/Nick-Nora-Glass-p/4854r351.htm, order me there.

18 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting this! I, too, became a l'il obsessed with these glasses after being served drinks in them at Pegu Club years ago. On one visit I asked a bartender where the glasses came from and he said only "somewhere in The Bowery." I first heard them referred to as Nick and Nora glasses by someone at Heaven's Dog in San Francisco a couple of years ago, where they also use them. Even knowing what they were called, I couldn't locate a supplier. Thanks to your post, I just ordered a few from Tabletop Style. Psyched!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome, glad I could help out, that's what the post was for after all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Glad you found your glasses, but...Please don't forget that there are many sources online to purchase "Real" vintage Nick & Nora glasses. When you choose vintage you are also buying Green by recycling. And Honestly Vintage offers so many more unique & beautiful styles,different choices, for about the sane cost or in some cases even less than big retailers. Vintage is sure to be a great conversation starter too, because you will have glasses that someone actually saw in a Nick & Nora Movie!
    You are also helping small independent businesses remain in business!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I agree, vintage is best, but can be hard to find. I actually ordered a pair from you a while back that came up during one of my google searches, and I've picked up any cools ones I come across at antique stores, flea markets, etc.

      Delete
  5. The PEGU club fact does use the Steelite Rona brand Nick & Nora glass which is much more durable then the previous glass they used.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for confirming my suspicion, and I agree they are much more durable. Also, your comment reminded me I've been meaning to order more of the Paris Coupe glasses, I got one when I ordered the Nick&Nora's, and the coupe is perfect for my sidecars.

      Delete
  6. I have been trying to find these glasses for some time and after seeing your images, I think this is the line I drank from. This is so exciting!! One question for you, is the glass ever so slightly fluted? I'm looking for glassware that looks very similar in shape but has slight flutes... I am keeping my fingers crossed this is it. If you could let me know, I'd be very, very grateful! Thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hmm. I'm not really sure I know what you mean by "flutes", sorry. There are no carved grooves or facets or anything like that, the bowls are smooth. What you may see in one of the pics I think might be reflections from my windows?

      Delete
    2. Gotchya. Thank you! I did mean facets. I drank out of glasses of very similar shape a year and a half ago that had ver subtle facets in them. I've been trying to hunt them down! I wash hoping these were them... In your research did you find anything similar? If not, not to worry. greatly appreciate your reply!

      Delete
    3. Yeah, I have a couple like that which I picked up at antique shops here and there, but have not seen any for sale that were not one offs. Good luck!

      Delete
  7. What’s your take on the glasses from The New York First Co? http://www.newyorkfirst.com/gifts/nick--nora-martini-glasses-427/# It might be the angle from which they're photographed, but they look ever so slightly different than the glasses pictured above. They're also pricier than what Tabletop Style retails them for. Does anyone know?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I hadn't seen them there before, but I'm pretty sure they are exactly the same. If you look at the base of the zoomed pic from that link you can see the same "Rona" and "MCC" logos that are on my glasses; there is a clear pic of the logos above.

    ReplyDelete
  9. it was a wonderful chance to visit this kind of site and I am happy to know. thank you so much for giving us a chance to have this opportunity.. best-highball-glasses

    ReplyDelete
  10. I just ordered the Nick & Nora's and am so excited! Quick question - in the second picture from the top (the one with both the Coupe and the Nick & Nora, is that the Rona Paris Coupe in the pic? I have the Schott Zweisel coupes from the "Bar Special" line, but they're really big at 9.5oz. Was looking for something smaller.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I can't be totally positive, as I didn't take that pic and pulled it from the website (or a pdf), but I'm pretty sure that it is in fact the "8 oz Paris Coupe Champagne" on the left in that pic, see here: http://www.tabletopstyle.com/Minners-Classic-Champagne-p/4854r352.htm

    It's slightly bigger at 8oz than the 6oz Nick&Nora's, but doesn't feel at all too big. I still to this day usually use that coupe for shaken drinks and the Nick&Nora's for stirred ones. The coupe allows a generous pour for shaken drinks, maybe a ~1.5x or a bit less scaled typical recipe in a cocktail book, while still allowing me to carry a glass or two across the room or down stairs with my not ready for prime time cocktail waitressing balance skills.

    ReplyDelete
  12. To my pleasant surprise that the site I linked was still active (and the link still worked! wow!), now looking back at the site to reply to that last comment, I noticed the new(er) etched "Nick & Nora Vintage Lace", which I had seen occasionally in cocktail bars, but hadn't occur to me to buy. Naturally, I just ordered a few. Neat!

    All these glasses have held up perfectly for 8 years and counting...

    http://www.tabletopstyle.com/product-p/4854rb351.htm

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is a wonderful product, taking into account all the information about it, this type of product that prevents user interest in the site, and you will share more ... good luck.  Best order wine online

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.