Does anyone know if "Nick & Nora" glasses are intended for any particular cocktail or type of drink?
By a Nick & Nora glass, I'm referring to this: http://etsy.me/HJFpD9 (I think this is a Nick and Nora)
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I have yet to see a recipe that specifically calls for them. Any drink that calls for a cocktail glass should be fine. If you have a wide array of glassware like we do, then the recipe itself will help guide you for your glassware choice. In my mind, simple but elegant drinks like Martinis, Alaskas, and Gimlets would be perfect in Nick & Nora's.
Cocktail Virgin blog & author of Drink & Tell: A Boston Cocktail Book.
Thanks Fred. That's what I was kind of assuming, but thought that since the glass has its own name, that there may be "more to the story". I do have quite an eclectic mix of vintage glasses in my home bar, so yes, I do grab whichever one inspires me at the moment. The Nick & Nora glass I have right now is actually quite big, so I guess it's just a good cocktail glass to have around for a big 5 ounce drink.
I've always assumed "Nick and Nora" was a reference to Nick and Nora Charles of the classic Thin Man films from the 1930s and 1940s. They are a husband and wife detective team that imbibes freely while solving cases. Delightful movies and very popular in their time.
Scientist McGee:Does anyone know if "Nick & Nora" glasses are intended for any particular cocktail or type of drink?
For a Nick and Nora, it was dry martinis. Preferably a dozen.
But they are excellent for just about any standard-sized cocktail really.
Etsy is down at the moment, but I looked at the image earlier and if I remember it correctly (deep, triangular, about 6oz), it's not what is technically considered a Nick and Nora glass. It was originally more like a small (5-6 oz tops), round-bottomed, steeper-sided wine goblet with a stem. It reduces surface the area of the liquid (which keeps it cold longer), reduces over-filling and spilling that first sip and promotes a more proper portion for a cocktail.
Here, you can see David Wondrich at the Pegu Club in NY getting their Fitty-Fitty Martini in what is now commonly considered a Nick and Nora glass.
http://www.chow.com/food-news/54603/the-perfect-martini/
And here you go...
http://www.tabletopstyle.com/Nick-Nora-Glass-p/4854r351.htm
The Boston Shaker store has them as well:http://store.thebostonshaker.com/index.php?product=CWST-NINO-6oz
Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) using Nick and Nora glasses:
http://www.farrow-osullivan.com/images/moviespromos/The_Thin_Man_2--b.jpg
Nick (William Powell) using Nick and Nora glasses:
http://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2011/05/detectives-their-drink-cocktail-recipes.html
When life gives you little but lemons, make whiskey sours
Thanks! I guess I was mistaken! Thanks for the info!
Now, these look very different than the Nick and Nora glasses listed above for sale. These just look like coupes with steeper sides. I have a few of these and I love them! They have the same look as most coupes, but they don't spill as easily.
(^"these" referring to the pics Vieux Carre posted)
Yes, the "Nick & Nora" glasses you have on Etsy aren't even close to what folks have come to refer to as "Nick & Nora". And yes, the term does come from the "Thin Man" movies. As the screen-grab photos show, the glasses they actually used in the (first) Thin Man movie aren't much more than a typical for-the-day champagne coupe, which also doubled as a cocktail glass. Today, what we call the "Nick & Nora" was popularized by Audrey Saunders at the Pegu Club.
The Nick & Nora glasses sold by The Boston Shaker, and used at Pegu Club, are from the Minner's Cocktail Collection and currently manufactured by Steelite. They are available here (no affiliation, came across the line thanks to Dale DeGroff):
http://www.tabletopstyle.com/Classic-Cocktail-Glasses-s/212.htm
I have the whole line, and they're all great -- While the coupe is a little bigger (certainly compared to the Libbey standard), it's perfect for drinks that are slightly larger. Pegu Club, for example, uses that model for their Old Cuban.
I tend to use my Nick & Nora glasses for stirred drinks, coupes for shaken.
I think I finally got my hands on some legitimate "Nick & Nora" cocktail glasses! Am I right?
Very nice. How many ounces?
And where did you get them? My wife has been wanting to find some good etched glassware.
They're just a little over 4 ounces. I found them at a local resale shop in St. Louis. I actually have fun looking for glassware like this around town, and then resell the stuff on etsy.com. Check it out, if you're interested... https://www.etsy.com/listing/107379048/vintage-cocktail-glass-pair-of-2