About Barware

There are some unique trends happening in the barware industry. Items such as Black & White Collections, Nautical Collections, and of course the ever present Holiday Collections.  Christmas, Valentines Day, and even seasons such as Winter or Fall are seen in the barware industry. It is interesting to see that decorators suggest you not only change your table settings, placemats, and center pieces to go with the latest trends or holidays. But even your bar items need to be changed periodically.

Many kitchens are designed around a copper or stainless steel theme, or even a black & white design. What used to be a world of bright & bold colors has not modified into more somber tones. Grays, blacks and neutral colors are taking over the decorating stage. Traditional English country side bar items are seen prevelantly on internet sites.

If you are looking for unique serveware for your wine, you can get a set of pewter goblets.  These are elegant looking goblets that will work well with any table setting.  So, you can use your pewter goblet anytime.

There are different styles and sizes of these goblets.  Some will have their goblets engraved or etched for a more personal touch.  Almost all will hold at least 12 oz of liquid.  They are made to standard set by the European Standard for pewter.  They do not contain lead unlike centuries before when they didn’t know that lead is dangerous to one’s health.

You can enjoy a great beer party with pewter beer mugs.  They are different from your ordinary glass mugs so they are perfect for entertaining.  You can even have a medieval theme for your party and everybody can come in costume.
 
These mugs can come in a variety of sizes and designs.  You can have a very simple but distinct design on them.  They will usually hold 12 oz of liquid.  These pewter mugs do not contain any lead so you don’t have to worry about ingesting any heavy metal.  Unlike during centuries ago, many were probably poisoned by drinking from lead laced mugs.  But with strict standards set by the European Standards for pewter, all materials used to make pewter is safe.

What is the ideal temperature for serving sake? Most decent sake tastes  best slightly chilled. In short, there is no one ideal serving temperature, but cool to chilled brings our the best in most good sake, with subtle differences presenting themselves at each temperature range. A lot of good sake goes well warmed, but not too hot! Piping hot sake is a carryover from decades ago when sake was not at the level it is now, and heating it was the best way to go. Times have changed , but in Japan as well as in the US, a lot of cheap sake is served very hot

Warming Sake. If you do not recommend heating Premium Sake, then can you recommend a fine sake that will heat well for our customers who wish it warm/hot? Recommended types are Kamo no Izumi and Sake Hitosuji, both of which are in the US, for gentle warming. Also, you are opening a Pandora’s Box here, as there is no simple answer to your question. It is all about personal preference, but more often the sake that is suited to gentle warming is earthier, richer and less fruity. Often the brewer will recommend this on the label, but more often you need to trust your tasting experience and preferences.

Traditionally, sake is served in wooden box cup, known as masu; unlike other containers, it is a standard measurement, which has a volume of (1 fl oz). In the past, the wooden box was said to complement the traditionally brewed sake, as it is brewed in a wooden cask, but in modern times, the masu is shunned by sake purists because the wood affects the flavor of the sake. Furthermore, tradition requires the masu be filled to the rim as a sign of prosperity. It is now common to make masu as lacquerware or even out of ABS plastic. As the traditional sake-serving cup and a symbol of prosperity, the masu still has a place in modern times and is still used for the purpose of ceremony or to show generosity. In some of the more traditional Japanese restaurants, the server may put a glass inside the masu (or put the masu inside a saucer) and pour until the sake overflows and spills into the secondary container.

Nowadays, the sake is typically served in ceramic cups. The cups used for drinking sake are generally small cylindrical vessels called ochoko, but may also include flatter shapes such as wide-mouthed bowls. Sakazuki are more ceremonial cups used most commonly at weddings and other special occasions, but larger versions of sakazuki also exist for binge drinking. This information has been obtained from Wikipedia.

Sake set is a generic term for the flask and cups used to serve sake, the traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. Sake sets are commonly ceramic, but may be glass or lacquered plastic. The flask and cups may be sold individually instead or as a set.

The server of a sake set is a flask called tokkuri. Tokkuri are generally bulbous with a narrow neck, but may have a variety of other shapes, including spouted serving bowls (katakuchi). Traditionally, heated sake is often warmed by placing the sake filled tokkuri in a pan of hot water, and thus the narrowed neck would prevent the heat from escaping. This information has been obtained from Wikipedia.