Riedel Restaurant Bar Drink Specific Glassware Sour (12 Pack)
Riedel Restaurant Bar Drink Specific Glassware Sour (12 Pack)
Trade Customers Only
This product is available exclusively to approved Trade customers.
Riedel Restaurant Bar — Drink Specific Sour Glass
The Riedel Restaurant Bar Drink Specific Sour Glass (0417/06) is the most technically specific design in the Drink Specific collection. Where other glasses in the range are calibrated for ice accommodation, measure precision, or carbonation preservation, the Sour glass is built around a single functional question: how does the shape of the rim change the way a sour cocktail tastes?
The answer is the outward flared lip. When a glass rim curves outward, it directs the liquid onto the tip and front of the tongue as the glass is tilted to a natural drinking angle. The tip of the tongue is where sweetness is most sensitively perceived. For a sour cocktail, whose defining characteristic is the balance between citrus acidity and sweetness, this matters: the sweet elements of the build arrive first on the palate, creating an initial impression of silkiness and integration before the sour notes follow. The overall effect is a more composed, less aggressive flavour entry than the same cocktail in a straight-rimmed or inward-tapering glass, where the citrus is more likely to hit the sides and centre of the tongue simultaneously and register as sharper. The recipe has not changed. The glass has.
At 217ml with a wide 97mm opening and 158mm stem height, the Sour glass provides appropriate volume for a standard shaken sour build served without ice, and the 97mm diameter gives an egg white or aquafaba foam head enough surface to develop and sit visibly above the liquid. Co-designed with Zane Harris and based on the traditional serves for 7 cocktail classics, the 0417/06 is machine-made in lead-free crystal, certified for 1,500 commercial dishwasher cycles, and sold in sets of 12 for professional bar and restaurant use.
Key features of the Riedel Drink Specific Sour Glass:
- Outward flared lip for sweetness-first delivery: The flared rim directs the drink to the tip of the tongue where sweetness is most sensitively perceived, creating a silkier, more integrated flavour entry that tempers the sour's citrus acidity from the first sip
- Wide 97mm opening for egg white foam: The generous rim diameter provides enough surface area for an egg white or aquafaba foam head to develop and present correctly above the liquid line, and for foam and liquid to arrive on the palate together rather than separately
- 217ml capacity for a standard sour build: Sized for a shaken sour at 60ml spirit, 25ml citrus, 15ml syrup, and optional egg white, yielding 130-150ml after dilution at the correct 60-70% fill level with room for the foam head
- Stemmed for temperature preservation: The stem keeps hand heat away from the bowl, maintaining the cocktail's serving temperature for longer than a tumbler alternative
- Covers the full sour canon: Whiskey Sour, Daiquiri, Pisco Sour, Amaretto Sour, New York Sour, Clover Club, Bee's Knees, Gimlet, and all shaken citrus cocktails served without ice
- Form follows function design: Every element of the Sour glass, the flare angle, the bowl width, the stem height, follows from the functional requirements of the cocktail it serves, consistent with Riedel's long-established design philosophy applied to wine glassware
- 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 right choice for any bar with a sour programme where the Whiskey Sour, Daiquiri, or Pisco Sour is a significant part of the cocktail offer, and particularly for operations that take the egg white sour seriously. It works alongside the Nick and Nora within the Drink Specific range to cover both stirred and shaken up cocktail service with the correct glass for each.
What Bar and Restaurant Professionals Ask About This Glass
How does the flared lip actually change the flavour of a sour?
The tip of the tongue has a higher density of receptors sensitive to sweetness than the sides or centre. When a flared rim directs liquid to the tip of the tongue first, the sweet components of the drink, the sugar syrup, the liqueur element in an Amaretto Sour, register on entry before the citrus acidity that characterises the sour family. This sequence of perception creates an initial impression of smoothness and integration. The acidity is still present and still defines the drink's character, but it arrives in the context of sweetness already established, which makes the sour feel more composed and less sharp. In a straight-rimmed glass, the same cocktail is more likely to arrive across the whole tongue simultaneously, giving the acidity a more immediate, less tempered presence. The recipe is identical. The experience differs.
Can we use this glass for a Daiquiri, or is the Nick and Nora better for that?
Both glasses work for a Daiquiri, and the choice depends on how you approach it on the menu. A Daiquiri built as a precise, spirit-forward exercise in balance, rum, citrus, sugar in equal attention, tends to sit more naturally in the Nick and Nora's focused, enclosed bowl, which concentrates the rum aromatics and delivers to the mid-palate. A Daiquiri framed as part of the sour family, where the citrus-sweet interplay is the point, benefits from the Sour glass's flared lip delivery. If you are running both glasses in the collection and have Daiquiris on the menu, the Sour glass is the more appropriate dedicated vessel. If you are running only one stemmed shape, the Nick and Nora is the more versatile choice across the broader stirred and shaken up canon.
Why is this glass stemmed rather than a tumbler for sours?
Sours are served without ice in the glass after shaking: the drink has been chilled in the shaker and strained cold into a stemmed glass. The stem keeps hand heat away from the bowl, which matters more for a cocktail with no ice in the glass to maintain temperature. A tumbler held in the palm warms a cold cocktail noticeably faster than a stemmed glass held by the stem. For a sour served up, particularly an egg white sour where the drinking pace is often slower to appreciate the texture, the stem is a functional choice rather than an aesthetic one.
What about the New York Sour with its red wine float?
The 217ml capacity and 97mm diameter make the Sour glass well suited to a New York Sour, which adds a float of red wine poured over the back of a bar spoon onto the foam or liquid surface. The wide opening gives adequate room to float the wine without disturbing the foam layer, and the visual contrast of the red wine layer visible above the amber sour base is well presented in the 97mm bowl. The flared lip delivery applies equally to the New York Sour, with the wine and sour base arriving together on the palate from the first sip.
How many dishwasher cycles are these glasses certified for?
The Drink Specific Sour Glass is certified to EN 12875-1/2 standards for 1,500 commercial dishwasher cycles with no visible deterioration, corresponding to 10+ years of normal bar or restaurant service life.
Why the Sour Family Deserves Its Own Glass
The sour is the most widely ordered category of cocktail in most UK bar operations. Whiskey Sour, Amaretto Sour, Pisco Sour, Daiquiri: the citrus-spirit-sweet template accounts for a significant proportion of cocktail covers across every price bracket. It is also the cocktail category where the quality gap between an average execution and a well-made one is most immediately apparent to customers, because the balance between sweet and sour is something every palate registers and evaluates automatically.
The argument for a dedicated sour glass is the same argument that Riedel has made about wine glassware for decades: the shape of the glass changes the experience of the drink, not marginally and not imaginatively, but measurably and consistently. The flared lip of the Sour glass is the cocktail equivalent of the bowl geometry in a varietal wine glass. It is a functional decision about where on the palate the drink should arrive first, and the answer, sweetness before acidity, produces a more integrated, more appealing version of the same recipe.
For an operation with egg white sours on the menu, the Sour glass adds a second functional advantage: the 97mm diameter is wide enough for the foam head to develop and present correctly above the rim, and for foam and liquid to arrive on the palate together from the first sip rather than the foam being pushed aside by a narrower opening. A well-made Whiskey Sour with a defined foam head in a correctly proportioned Sour glass is a more compelling, more drink-worthy presentation than the same cocktail in a coupe, a Nick and Nora, or a generic stemmed glass.
The Sour glass completes the stemmed section of the Drink Specific range alongside the Nick and Nora. Together they cover the full shaken and stirred up cocktail canon with a different glass for each structural type: the Nick and Nora for spirit-forward stirred and shaken builds, the Sour glass for citrus-driven shaken builds where the sour balance is the defining characteristic. Running both shapes is not a luxury for a programme serious about its cocktail offer: it is the point of the collection.
Specifications
Care & Use Instructions
Chilling Before Service: Chill the glass before pouring: freezer for 5-10 minutes, or fill briefly with ice and water, swirl, and discard. A chilled glass extends the serving temperature of a sour served without ice significantly and is standard practice for any cocktail served up.
Pouring: Double-strain into the chilled glass through both a Hawthorne and fine-mesh strainer to remove ice chips and, if applicable, to produce a clean foam head from the egg white. Pour to approximately 60-70% of capacity (130-150ml). For a New York Sour, pour the red wine float over the back of a bar spoon held just above the foam surface after the main pour is complete.
Egg White and Aquafaba Sours: For a defined foam head, use a dry shake (without ice) first to emulsify the egg white, then a wet shake with ice to chill and dilute before double-straining. The 97mm opening provides sufficient surface area for the foam to sit above the liquid line and present correctly. Serve promptly: egg white foam begins to collapse within a few minutes of pouring.
Carrying in Service: Hold the stem. The 97mm opening and the flared lip make the Sour glass slightly more open at the top than the Nick and Nora, so carry with care at full fill. For table service, a flat tray is preferable to hand-carrying multiple glasses 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 with individual bowl support. The 97mm diameter and flared lip require a rack with sufficient compartment width: check that the flare does not cause the glass to sit at an angle in the rack, which would stress the stem. Remove promptly and air dry. The flared lip can collect water; tip to drain after each cycle.
Storage: Store upright. The 158mm height and 97mm diameter make the Sour glass the widest of the Drink Specific stemmed glasses; ensure adequate spacing in storage to prevent contact between the flared lips of adjacent glasses. Never stack or store rim-down. The stem is the most vulnerable point; use stemmed-glass racks with individual support.
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 both the sour and stirred up categories. The Sour glass and Nick and Nora together cover the full shaken and stirred up cocktail programme; if you are also considering the Highball and Double Rocks to complete the long and short build range, we can help you understand how the shapes work together 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
Read our full guarantee policy →
Questions? Visit our contact page
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 (283ml), Double Rocks (370ml), Highball (310ml), Nick and Nora (140ml), Sour (217ml), 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 0417/06) is designed for trade use. Consumers looking for the same Drink Specific Sour shape in smaller quantities should look at the consumer Riedel Drink Specific range, available in sets of 2.
What is the expected annual breakage rate for this glass?
Stemmed cocktail glasses typically experience 15-20% annual breakage in active bar service, with the stem as the primary failure point. The Sour glass's wider 97mm diameter and flared lip also require careful rack placement to avoid stress on the flare during washing. Using correct stemmed-glass racks and staff training on handling and dishwasher loading are the most effective tools for managing breakage in this glass profile.
