Vintage Whiskey Glasses and Decanters: Rocks Glasses and Gift Sets

The best vintage whiskey glasses are heavy cut crystal old fashioned or rocks tumblers from documented makers such as Waterford and Baccarat, sold in matching sets with clean rims. A standard glass holds about 6 to 10 ounces. A decanter with its original stopper completes the set and makes a strong groomsmen or best-man gift.

This roundup covers the glass itself, the crystal patterns worth knowing, decanter and glass sets, and how to give them at a wedding. It is about glassware only; we do not recommend or link to spirits.

What is a whiskey glass called?

The short, wide tumbler most people call a whiskey glass has several names. Wikipedia lists old fashioned glass, rocks glass, whiskey glass and lowball as names for the same form: a wide brim and a thick base, sturdy enough to muddle ingredients in.

The shape is older than the cocktail it is named for. Wikipedia traces it to the Scottish quaich, a shallow two-handled cup of the 17th and 18th centuries made of wood, silver or leather. During the 1800s the quaich gave way to the glass tumbler, which was cheaper to make.

Early American cut glass tumblers survive in museum collections. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a tumbler made about 1825 by Bakewell, Page and Bakewell, blown and cut glass with a clay cameo set into the base. Pieces like it are museum objects; the tumblers on the market are mostly 20th century.

Single or double: which size to buy

Vintage glasses were often smaller than modern ones. If size matters, ask the seller for the height, the rim diameter or the capacity in ounces.

Which crystal patterns make the best whiskey glasses?

Named patterns are easier to verify, to match and to add to later. Three are worth knowing.

Waterford Lismore

Waterford says its chief designer, Miroslav Havel, created Lismore in 1952 after studying original Penrose-era crystal, and the company calls it the world’s best-selling crystal pattern. Because it has been made for decades, vintage and recent Lismore tumblers can look alike. Our guide to crystal patterns still made today shows how to tell them apart.

Baccarat Harcourt and Masséna

Baccarat dates Harcourt to 1841 and describes its hexagonal base and six facets; the range includes a decanter as well as glasses. Its Masséna collection includes tumblers, highballs and a decanter. Baccarat says acid-etched marks became standard in 1936, and our guide to identifying genuine Baccarat crystal explains each mark by period.

Mid-century designer tumblers

For a lighter, more playful look, the mid-century American designers made decorated tumblers rather than cut crystal. 1stDibs notes that Dorothy Thorpe’s silver-banded Roly Poly tumblers became a staple of the mid-century home bar. See mid-century barware designers for signatures and look-alikes, and our Culver barware guide for 22-karat gold patterns.

Decanter and glass sets

A decanter with matching glasses is the classic whiskey gift. When you assess a set:

• Check the stopper. It should belong to the decanter and seat snugly. A stopper from another set lowers appeal.
• Count the glasses. Sets are often sold short of their original number. Ask whether any are missing.
• Match the cutting. In a true set, the pattern on the decanter and the glasses is the same.
• Look inside. Cloudiness inside a decanter can be a film or permanent etching; our guide to caring for vintage glassware explains the difference.

For a grander gift, a tantalus holds two or three decanters behind a lock. Our hub on collecting vintage crystal decanters covers tantalus sets, marks and stoppers.

Whiskey glasses as groomsmen and best-man gifts

Glassware is a common wedding-party gift. WeddingWire’s etiquette guide says the groom, or the couple, pays for groomsmen gifts. It suggests handing them out at the rehearsal dinner, on the morning of the wedding or a couple of weeks before, and not more than a month ahead. It also suggests giving the best man something more substantial, and names a set of whiskey glasses as one way to do it.

Vintage makes this harder and better. Harder, because six or eight identical vintage glasses take time to find. Better, because each groomsman gets a piece with a maker and a date. Three ways to handle it:

1. One pair each. Give every groomsman two matching vintage tumblers. Pairs are easier to find than large sets.
2. One pattern, mixed sources. Pick a long-running pattern such as Lismore and buy from several sellers until you have enough.
3. A decanter set for the best man. Give the groomsmen glasses and the best man a decanter with matching glasses.

Start early. Order well before the wedding so there is time to replace anything that arrives chipped.

Is vintage crystal safe to drink from?

Most vintage cut crystal contains lead. Health Canada advises limiting lead crystalware to serving food or drinks, never storing them, and using it only from time to time. Waterford states that it is replacing lead oxide with barium oxide in new production, so a vintage Waterford glass is lead crystal while a recent one may not be.

Our guide to storing spirits in a lead crystal decanter covers what the guidance says and does not say.

How to buy vintage whiskey glasses safely

Ask for photos of every rim, the base of each glass and any mark. Ask how the seller will pack the set, with each piece wrapped separately. Pay through eBay checkout: the Money Back Guarantee covers an item that arrives damaged or does not match its listing, if you report it within 30 calendar days of the actual or estimated delivery date. Our guide to buying vintage barware on eBay safely covers the rest.

Related guides

• Vintage barware gifts: ideas for the host, the martini purist, retirees and newlyweds.
• Mid-century home bar setup: bar carts, ice buckets and glassware.
• Vintage cocktail glasses: every glass type with sizes.
• Waterford decanters: patterns, marks and dating.