Celebrate a tradition with an engraved shot glass

Back to Blog

If you want to give a gift for a celebration, an engraved shot glass is a unique personalised gift.

What’s the history of shots and the shot glass?

A shot glass is a small glass that holds a measure of spirits which is drunk straight down, or a “shot”.

Contrary to the popular belief that the drinking of shots is a modern habit, references to the word “shot” defined as a drink of alcohol date back to the 17th Century.

The early shot type glasses from the late 1700s to the beginning of the 1800s were not called shot glasses, but whiskey tumblers. A common image from Western movies is the cowboy hero drinking whiskey straight down from a small tumbler. There is a legend that cowboys would give a bullet to the bartender in exchange for a measure of whiskey, and this is thought to be why a drink of whiskey became known as a shot.

In the 1800s, glassblowers made thick small glasses for drinking spirits from. In the late 1800s to early 1900s, mass-produced whiskey glasses with images etched on them were the original engraved shot glasses.

Nowadays, the word ‘shot’ is used to describe a variety of flavoured spirits. In the ‘50s and early ‘60s cocktails were popular, but during the ‘60s the younger generation consumed fewer cocktails and sales of some spirits declined. Drinks companies responded by creating drinks in the form of spirits mixed with flavours – a sort of “mini cocktail”. The marketing of these drinks was targeted at the younger generation. Though the flavours appealed to people, the point of these drinks was more the intoxicating effect than how it tasted. These drinks became known as shots.

Though there has been a rise in the sales of craft gin, specialised vodkas and small-batch whiskey, shots remain popular and the sales of shot glasses are buoyant. For health-conscious people, non-alcoholic spirits have been created that can be consumed from shot glasses, though these tend to be sipped rather than downed in one gulp.

Celebrate with an engraved shot glass

Often, shots mark special occasions, such as the celebration of a birthday or engagement. Give guests engraved shot glasses to take home with them to remind them of the special occasion, long after the effect of the shots has worn off.

Remember that any occasion can be “special”. For instance, today happens to be International Irish Whiskey Day, so why not mark the occasion?

There is no restriction to when and why to give engraved shot glasses. Give one or more to a loved one simply to say thank you to them for being there for you.

A typical shot glass is made from thick glass with an extra thick bottom. Though the glass is small, the text engraved on it can express large sentiments. Images or logos can be added to the glasses to make them ideal promotional gifts to raise awareness of a brand.

An engraved shot glass is a personalised luxury gift that is affordable, costing £7 or less including engraving. It is an ideal gift for someone you love or appreciate who likes to celebrate with shots.

Share this post

Back to Blog