I worked as a bartender off and on for about twenty years, so it naturally makes sense that I would have a small home bar. Over the years it's grown and the hand-me-down glasses I brought home from my job(s) have given way to proper glassware. I searched for both style and function and found what I consider to be the best marriage. It's like I played Consumer Reports for you and picked the best "band for your buck."
These 8.5-ounce champagne flutes come from Spiegelau, a German glassworks company that has been in existence since 1521. Yes, 1521. The company started out making a variety of glass products, including mirrors and windows. At some point, they branched out into stemware. There have been a handful of owners over the years (obviously), but the man who developed it into a world-renowned company that it is today was Fritz Pretzfelder, a Jewish businessman who was forced to undersell it in 1939 and escape Germany with his family under the Nazi regime. Pause: It was important for me to share that story. Thanks for staying with me.
Johann Willsberger (founder of Gourmet Magazine, et al.) designed a hand-blown series for Spiegelau in 1982. In 2012, Spiegelau successfully were able to mechanically reproduce its exact complex form. This glassware is machine-blown and therefore much more affordable. So, like I said, best bang for your buck. And they're beautiful.