Glass up your act

Europeans have long known the pleasures of drinking wine and beer from stocky, substantial glasses that feel solid in the hand and are less fragile for everyday use than delicate stemware or towering Pilsner glasses. Hand-blown from 100 percent recycled glass, these pale green tumblers from Mariposa in Gloucester, etched with designs by North Shore native Charles Dort ($12.50 to $14.50 each), have slight but interesting variations in texture and color. Fill them with your favorite beverage, and when the game gets interesting you can grip your glass for dear life. BETH INESONVidrio tumblers by Mariposa are available at Comina, 566A Washington St., Wellesley, 781-431-2180, and from www.stonewallkitchen.com.