Riedel Restaurant Bar Drink Specific Glassware Nick & Nora Glasses (12 Pack)
Riedel Restaurant Bar Drink Specific Glassware Nick & Nora Glasses (12 Pack)
Trade Customers Only
This product is available exclusively to approved Trade customers.
"I'll be with you in two shakes of a cocktail."
Nora Charles — The Thin Man (1934)
Riedel Restaurant Bar — Drink Specific Nick & Nora Glass
Nick and Nora Charles are the wisecracking, Martini-swilling husband-and-wife detectives played by William Powell and Myrna Loy across six films beginning with The Thin Man in 1934. They solved murders, they traded quips, and they drank. A lot. Their on-screen relationship with the cocktail shaker helped establish the Martini as the definitive symbol of a particular kind of wit and sophistication, and during the cocktail renaissance of the last two decades, bartenders looking for a better stemmed cocktail glass than the coupe found one: deeper, more elegant, more practical, and named, naturally, for Nick and Nora.
The Riedel Drink Specific Nick and Nora Glass (0417/05) brings that bartender favourite into the Riedel Drink Specific collection in machine-made lead-free crystal, available in trade format for professional bar and restaurant use. At 140ml with a 77mm opening and a 153mm stem height, it is perfectly calibrated for the standard 90-100ml shaken or stirred cocktail served without ice. The deeper bowl of the Nick and Nora holds the drink at a natural drinking angle without forcing the head back, keeps the cocktail cooler for longer than the wide, shallow coupe profile, and is markedly more stable in service: less likely to spill when carried, less likely to tip when set on the bar. For a busy cocktail programme serving Martinis, Manhattans, Daiquiris, Gimlets, and the full canon of stirred and shaken up drinks, the practical advantage over the coupe is real and cumulative. Co-designed with mixologist Zane Harris and based on the traditional serves for 7 cocktail classics, the 0417/05 is certified for 1,500 commercial dishwasher cycles and sold in sets of 12.
Key features of the Riedel Drink Specific Nick and Nora Glass:
- Deeper bowl than a coupe: The Nick and Nora's deeper, more enclosed bowl delivers the drink to the mid-palate at a natural tilt without forcing the drinker to raise their chin, creating a more comfortable, more controlled sip than the shallow coupe provides
- More spill-resistant than a coupe: The enclosed bowl shape significantly reduces the risk of spillage when carrying to the table or when the glass is picked up on a moving bar or dining room floor, a meaningful advantage in active service
- Temperature retention: The smaller surface area of the deeper bowl exposes less liquid to the ambient air compared to a wide, flat coupe, keeping the drink colder for longer after it leaves the shaker or mixing glass
- 140ml calibrated capacity: Sized for a standard 90-100ml cocktail serve at the correct fill level: generous and well-made in appearance, with sufficient headspace to carry safely without spillage
- Covers the full stirred and shaken up canon: Martini, Manhattan, Daiquiri, Gimlet, Sidecar, Cosmopolitan, Last Word, Corpse Reviver No.2, Clover Club, Bee's Knees, and all cocktails shaken or stirred with ice and served without
- Named for The Thin Man: The Nick and Nora glass carries one of cocktail culture's better stories: a shape beloved by bartenders during the contemporary cocktail renaissance and named for the characters whose on-screen relationship with the Martini helped define the form
- Zane Harris collaboration: Part of the Drink Specific collection developed with the mixologist behind Dutch Kills, Maison Premiere, and Rob Roy
- 1,500-cycle dishwasher certification: EN 12875-1/2 certified for sustained commercial bar service
- Set of 12, trade-only: Bar-format case quantity for professional operations
This glass is the natural choice for any bar with a serious cocktail programme featuring stirred and shaken up drinks, and for any operation currently using coupes that wants a more practical alternative without sacrificing the elegant stemmed aesthetic. It works within the full Drink Specific range to cover both stirred and long cocktail service from a single coherent collection.
What Bar and Restaurant Professionals Ask About This Glass
We currently use coupes. Why should we switch to Nick and Nora?
The coupe is a beautiful glass with a long cocktail history, and there is no argument against it on aesthetic grounds. The practical arguments, however, favour the Nick and Nora consistently. The coupe's wide, shallow bowl is unstable: a slight angle during service is enough to send liquid over the rim, and a full coupe carried across a busy dining room is a genuine spillage risk. The Nick and Nora's deeper bowl contains the same volume of cocktail at a fill level that leaves meaningful clearance, making it significantly safer to carry and set down. The drinking experience also differs: the coupe's wide opening delivers the drink too broadly, flooding the palate all at once, where the Nick and Nora's narrower bowl channels the cocktail to the mid-palate at the correct tilt angle. For a programme serving thirty Martinis a night, the operational difference accumulates.
What exactly does "delivers to the mid-palate without forcing the tilt of the head" mean in practice?
When you drink from a coupe, the shallow bowl requires you to tip the glass steeply before the liquid reaches your lip, which means the drink arrives at the front of the mouth and the chin is raised. This is not uncomfortable, but it is not the most controlled sip. The Nick and Nora's deeper bowl means the liquid reaches the lip at a shallower tilt angle, delivering it to the mid-palate without the head tilting back. The practical effect is a more composed, more controlled drinking experience: the flavour arrives where the palate can best evaluate it, and the glass never requires an awkward angle to empty. For a well-made Martini where the flavour balance is the point, that delivery matters.
Is 140ml enough for a properly made Martini?
Yes. A standard properly made Martini at 60ml gin or vodka plus 20ml vermouth, stirred with ice and strained, yields approximately 90-100ml after dilution. At 140ml capacity, that pour fills the glass to roughly 65%, which is the correct fill level: the glass looks well-made and generous, with sufficient clearance to carry without spillage. A 140ml Nick and Nora is not a small glass for the cocktail it serves. It is correctly proportioned. Operations serving a larger 75ml spirit base Martini will land at around 105-110ml after dilution, which still sits within the correct fill range for the 0417/05.
Can this glass go in the dishwasher in a busy bar environment?
Yes. The 0417/05 is certified to EN 12875-1/2 standards for 1,500 commercial dishwasher cycles, the same standard as all Riedel restaurant glassware. The stem requires careful rack placement to avoid stress on the join between bowl and stem; use a rack designed for stemmed glassware with proper individual support. Prompt removal and air drying after each cycle preserves the crystal's clarity.
Does the Drink Specific range include any other stemmed cocktail glasses?
The Nick and Nora is the primary stemmed shape in the Drink Specific range for stirred and shaken up cocktails. The Sour glass is also stemmed and handles the sour family specifically, with a flared lip designed to deliver the sour profile to the tip of the tongue. The two glasses cover different cocktail categories and are not interchangeable in their intended use.
Why Serious Bars Moved from Coupe to Nick and Nora
The coupe had its moment. In the early years of the cocktail renaissance, when bars were raiding estate sales and vintage shops for interesting glassware and the Martini was being rediscovered alongside it, the coupe was the glass that communicated the right aesthetic: elegantly old-fashioned, visually arresting, associated with the pre-Prohibition cocktail era. The objection to it, which every working bartender knows, is that it spills.
A full coupe carried across a busy room is a genuine hazard. The wide, shallow bowl has almost no forgiveness for tilt: a degree or two in any direction and liquid is moving toward the rim. Setting a full coupe on the bar requires care that most surfaces do not reward. For a high-volume cocktail programme where a server carries three or four glasses at once, the coupe introduces a spillage risk that accumulates in wasted product, stained tablecloths, and unhappy customers.
The Nick and Nora solves these problems without abandoning the stemmed cocktail glass aesthetic. The deeper bowl contains the same 90-100ml cocktail at a fill level that leaves meaningful clearance. The glass can be carried at a slight angle without disaster. It sits on the bar more securely. And the drinking experience is, if anything, better: the deeper bowl concentrates the aromatics more effectively than the coupe's open form, and the mid-palate delivery gives the drinker more control over the pace and character of each sip.
The Riedel Drink Specific version brings machine-made consistency to a shape that was previously available mainly in vintage or boutique quantities, at a price and dishwasher certification that makes it viable as the primary cocktail glass for a serious professional programme. For operations making the switch from coupe, or equipping a new bar with a cocktail programme that takes the Martini seriously, the 0417/05 is the most practically grounded choice available.
Specifications
Care & Use Instructions
Chilling Before Service: The Nick and Nora should ideally be chilled before a cocktail is poured into it. Place the glass in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before service, or fill with ice and a small amount of water, swirl, and discard immediately before pouring. A chilled glass extends the cocktail's serving temperature significantly and is standard practice for any Martini programme.
Pouring: Strain directly into the chilled glass from a shaker or mixing glass. For Martinis and Manhattans stirred in a separate mixing glass, a fine-mesh strainer over the Hawthorne strainer removes any ice chips that would dilute the finished drink. Fill to approximately 65% of capacity (90-100ml) for a standard cocktail serve.
Carrying in Service: Hold the stem, not the bowl. The deeper bowl of the Nick and Nora provides greater stability than a coupe at the same fill level, but all stemmed cocktail glasses require care when carrying. For table service, individual glasses on a flat tray are preferable to holding by hand across a busy floor.
Commercial Dishwasher Use: Certified for 1,500 commercial dishwasher cycles under EN 12875-1/2. Use a rack designed for stemmed glassware to support the bowl independently from the stem. Avoid racks that support only the rim, which stresses the bowl-to-stem join. Remove promptly and allow to air dry. Crystal clarity is maintained by prompt removal and drying rather than allowing the glass to dry in the rack.
Storage: Store upright. The 153mm height and 77mm diameter make the Nick and Nora compact and rack-efficient for a stemmed glass. Never store rim-down or stack. The stem is the most vulnerable point; ensure adequate spacing in storage to prevent contact between glasses.
Breakage: Stemmed cocktail glasses are inherently more fragile than tumblers. The most common failure point is the stem, which is vulnerable to lateral stress during washing and storage. Using correct stemmed-glass racks and training staff on proper handling in the dishwasher are the most effective ways to manage breakage in this glass category. Industry breakage rates for stemmed cocktail glasses typically run 15-20% annually in active bar service.
Why Buy From The Riedel Shop?
As specialist Riedel retailers, we stock the full Drink Specific Glassware range and can advise on building a complete cocktail glass inventory that covers stirred, shaken, long, and short builds from a single coherent collection. If you are also considering the Sour glass or the Double Rocks alongside the Nick and Nora, we can help you understand how the shapes complement each other across a full cocktail menu. The Restaurant Bar Drink Specific collection is available exclusively to trade customers.
Our Guarantees to You
- ✓ No Quibble Returns
- ✓ Half-Price Accidental Breakage Replacement (2 Years)
- ✓ Price Match Guarantee
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does delivery take?
Standard delivery to mainland UK addresses typically takes 3-5 working days. For urgent orders, contact us to discuss expedited options.
Can I return glasses if they don't suit our bar programme?
We offer a no quibble return guarantee on unopened cases in original packaging. We recommend ordering one case to trial the glass before committing to larger quantities.
What other glasses are in the Drink Specific collection?
The Drink Specific collection includes the Neat Glass (174ml), Rocks Glass (283ml), Double Rocks (370ml), Highball (310ml), Nick and Nora (140ml), Sour, and Fizz. Together the collection covers thousands of cocktails across the 7 classic families. All are available in Restaurant Bar trade format (set of 12) and consumer format (set of 2).
Do you offer volume discounts for larger orders?
For bars and restaurant groups requiring significant quantities, contact us to discuss volume pricing and delivery arrangements.
Can home customers purchase this glass?
The Restaurant Bar version (set of 12, SKU 0417/05) is designed for trade use. Consumers looking for the same Drink Specific Nick and Nora shape in smaller quantities should look at the consumer Riedel Drink Specific range, available in sets of 2.
