College graduations are big milestones often scheduled at the worst times — namely, mealtimes. Foiling most dinner plans, my college graduation ended close to 10 p.m. on a humid Sunday in May. After a prolonged struggle for a cab, three grumpy generations of my family piled into Capofitto, a Philadelphia pizzeria from the team behind Capogiro, a gelato spot that’s generous with samples.
We quickly ordered pizzas, salads, and lots of wine. Moods much improved, my sister made a comment about the water glasses, observing, “These are really nice.”
We all agreed — they were tall and lightweight with a slightly curved rim, and I had never seen a restaurant use them for water. My dad started asking questions. We learned they were beer can glasses, commonly used to serve just that. A few days and many group emails later, he ordered 96 of them, embossed with a family inside joke coined by a friend.
Stephanie Reitano, co-founder, gelato artisan, and pizzaiola at Capofitto and Capogiro, selected the glasses deliberately. “I just loved them when I saw them,” she says. “We all have our favorite glass, coffee mug, or wine glass to drink from. I felt that immediately when drinking out of them the first time. They are also fun to look at and easy to pour into.”
At Capofitto, where pizza production is a 72-hour process, “all menu items are complex but seem simple. It is all meant to be comforting and above all delicious,” explains Reitano. The glasses, too, feel comforting in a familiar, unfussy way. They’re durable rather than delicate, since they’re designed for restaurants. (Three years later, I can attest they’re still holding up.)
And for that reason, they’re also affordable, which is key — and certainly what helped my dad justify the purchase. “Our regular water glasses are vulnerable to chipping so the beer can glasses were appealing,” he told me. As for the amount, “I knew that 96 was ridiculously too many but thought that 48 wasn’t really enough. They won’t spoil and with that many, we could give them away freely.”
Give them away we do, to houseguests, friends, and roommates. People sip water, seltzer, or perhaps beer out of them across France, Guatemala, Washington D.C., Nashville, California, and London. Plus, the option to customize them makes an otherwise cheap item a bona fide gift. Considering going off-registry for a wedding? Just add the wedding hashtag.
Buy Libbey 209 Beer Can Glass, $46.27 for 24