A Brief History of Shot Glasses
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Posted On :
Mar-02-2010
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Article Word Count :
509
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A shot glass is described as a miniature glass intended for containing or measure liquor, which in turn can either be poured into another liquid composition, or in most cases, consumed directly from the glass, hence the term "a shot". The word shot glass was first coined by the Oxford English Dictionary sometime in the 1940s.
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A shot glass is described as a miniature glass intended for containing or measure liquor, which in turn can either be poured into another liquid composition, or in most cases, consumed directly from the glass, hence the term "a shot".
The word shot glass was first coined by the Oxford English Dictionary sometime in the 1940s. There are several legendary stories about the origins of the shot glass, but one which endured is that the shot glass has been used for more than two centuries in Italy, mainly used for drinking grappa. This liquor was sipped slowly and not downed straight.
In much earlier times, the container utilized to measure or drink a typical amount of liquor was known as the Jigger or Pony. A petite glass containing a shot of alcohol is identified as a whiskey. In the late 19th century, at the dawn of the Prohibition, many American distilleries disseminated slender whiskey glasses bearing advertisements which were etched. These glasses emblazoned with an assortment of pictures and designs are now coveted items amongst shot glass collectors.
The New York Times was the first publication to use the phrase shot glass in the 1940s; in an account concerning the attempt to standardize the volume of a shot of liquor in New York. There are also several allusions from as early as the 1800s about workers excavating canals being offered a jigger of whiskey or rum. However, the phrase shot glass only became universal a good deal later after the article was written.
There is a palpable correlation between the Prohibition and the glass; that both are directly linked with alcohol. In times before the Prohibition struck, most glasses were slim at the sides. After the Prohibition concluded, glasses for shots were manufactured with thick bases and sides.
There is several interesting folklore on the birth of the shot glass. One tale describes the glass first being mentioned in Old West Saloons; when patrons would trade bullets for a single shot of drink. Another story stated that the glass was used at dinner to contain any lead shot present in the meat (similar to spit jars used by tobacco chewers). One popular version admitted that the shot (filled with lead) was invented to hold unused quill pens, so that they could stand upright.
The word shot can also be described as dose, akin to an inoculation shot. This definitely pre-dates the application of the phrase shot glass.
Not many people are aware that the word shot was initially spelled as Schott, the namesake of German chemist and Glass expert Friedrich Otto Schott. Along with physicist Ernst Abbe and instrument engineer Carl Zeiss, they established a glassworks plant in 1884 in Jena, Germany. It is believed that this Jena glass was the first Schott glass invented. Later on, the name was shortened to shot glass when it was produced in America, and the original name was soon erased from memory.
In many countries, both single and double shot sizes are standardized.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_A Brief History of Shot Glasses_12304.aspx
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Author Resource :
DiscountMugs.com is a large distribution company based in Miami, Florida. They are web-based and factory-direct which allows them to keep prices lower than the rest of the competition. They also have a huge selection of products from coffee mugs and travel mugs to shot glasses and promotional pens. For more information on shot glasses visit Discount Mugs.
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Keywords :
shot glasses, custom shot glasses, shot glass, custom printed shot glasses, engraved shot glasses, Coffee mugs, mugs, persona,
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Business
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Marketing
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