Zalto Spittoon 50 Grey

The single-taster spittoon in grey smoked glass, blown by hand like the rest of the range.

Zalto Glas is a family glassworks in Austria's Kremstal, where every piece is mouth-blown by hand and made without lead, the bowls angled to 24, 48 and 72 degrees after the tilt of the earth. Zalto introduced the spittoon as an aesthetic answer to a practical problem: fine glassware on the table and a plastic bucket beside it is a stilbruch, a clash of style, and the workshop wanted rid of it. This is the smaller of the two, holding about 500 millilitres and meant for one taster, while the 2,500 millilitre table model covers a group. The smoked grey is the most restrained of the colours and disappears sensibly into a working bench, though the piece is still recognisably part of the same family as the stems and carafes.

Keep it at your place during a tasting or behind the bar; it also makes a considered gift for a serious taster. Hand-wash in warm water without detergent and dry with a lint-free cloth.