I shouldn’t admit it on here really, but sometimes I drink out of a can or a bottle.
I may be kicked out of Shakspeare Towers for my behaviour if they hear about it.
But the boys who do the blowing - Will and Johnny – they go in for special glasses – for every drink.
Each Christmas they make beautiful glassware for their families. I guess it saves them having to brave the festive shopping crush, and they get to stay in the workshop having a laugh and creating lovely things.
Last year they made cider and gin glasses.
This year, it’s a focus on what they’ve coined ‘Somerset Chalices’.
It’s all about the form and the function for Will, but also the beauty and artistic quality of these lovely pieces.
And yes, I’ll admit it – I do prefer to drink out of a beautiful glass. Just, must remember not to behave like a ladette from the nineties, and instead present my refined persona!
What makes these Somerset Chalices so special then?
Well, it makes drinking an experience.
That’s the beauty of these glasses. Yes, on one level they’re practical, functional pieces – that’s the craft behind them. But what makes them pieces of art is the look of them, and they’re pretty stunning.
Fact of the matter is though, without the craft, there would be no art.
Will has admitted to me (all the confessions are coming out now) that his legendary capacity for drinking is starting to wane. We won’t comment on his age at this juncture.
Now, for him, having a drink doesn’t mean downing as many pints as possible in a short amount of time, but rather, savouring the experience of a glass of wine over time, from a piece of his art.
Because last year’s cider and gin glasses for friends and family were so widely praised, Will and Johnny have decided that they’ll make these special Somerset Chalices available for purchase.
After a week of blowing baubles they took a day out to focus on glasses, and they’ll take another day in the next week to do the same.
It means that we can all have the chance to buy a beautiful glass for a family member, a friend, or maybe just keep one back for ourselves.
For a properly self-indulgent Christmas drink, it’s not just about the drink – it’s more about the glass. So let’s make Christmas properly special. I promise to ditch the can….
You can shop their current Somerset Chalices right here https://shakspeareglass.co.uk/collections/somerset-chalice