Drinkware & Bar
Buy and sell drinkware and bar in Costa Rica.
Chiliguaro goes down from a shot glass, the lunchtime fresco comes out of a pichel, and plenty of people carry a steel tumbler with a straw from the house to the car to the desk. Those vacuum tumblers and the wine cups for a dinner are listed here new and pre-owned, along with the shakers and jiggers that make a home bar. A genuine Stanley and a copy can look identical in a photo, so ask the seller for a clear shot of the base before you agree to meet.
Stanley, Yeti and the steel vacuum tumbler:
the vacuum between two stainless walls keeps ice whole through a hot afternoon and coffee warm all morning. The Stanley Quencher, with its handle, straw and narrow base that drops into a car cupholder, became the shape everyone copies; a Yeti Rambler or a Hydro Flask does the same job. The lid is the real choice. A straw lid is easy to sip from at a desk but leaks if the tumbler tips over in a bag, while a sealed screw lid travels. Powder-coated colours chip at the base with use; plain steel hides its knocks better.
Glass tumblers, cups and what listings call cristal:
everyday tumblers are ordinary glass and live in the dishwasher; with wine cups the material matters. Listings use cristal for almost any glass, so ask whether it is real lead crystal: it is noticeably heavier, throws a rainbow in sunlight and wants washing by hand. Lead-free crystal from makers such as Schott Zwiesel is thin at the rim but built for the dishwasher. A pichel for frescos belongs here too, and coffee mugs, while the plates they sit beside are under dinnerware.
Shot glasses, shakers and a guaro sour at home:
a chiliguaro needs nothing more than a set of shot glasses and a saucer of salt and chile for the rims. A guaro sour needs a shaker. The Boston shaker, two tins that lock together, seals better and is what bartenders use, but it needs a separate strainer. The three-piece cobbler has the strainer built in and suits a home bar, though its cap sticks once the metal is ice cold. A jigger and a muddler for the lime finish the kit. Ice buckets and the trays that carry a round of drinks to the table sit with serveware.
A genuine Quencher against a copy for a few thousand colones:
a genuine 30 or 40 ounce Stanley Quencher costs around ₡35,000 new in Costa Rica, while copies in the same shape and colours sell for a few thousand colones. That is the whole question with a used one: shown to be genuine, with a vacuum that still works, it keeps a good part of its price; with no way to tell, a buyer offers copy money. Everyday glass is the opposite case. A new set of six tumblers costs under ₡10,000, so nobody crosses town for three odd glasses, and only complete matching sets find a buyer.
Checking a used tumbler’s vacuum and a box of glasses:
fill the tumbler with ice water and hold it for a few minutes. If the outside sweats or turns cold, the vacuum has gone and cannot be restored. A deep dent near the base is often where it broke. Copies give themselves away in the hand: lighter, a lid that leaves a gap at the rim, smudged text under the base and a logo that rubs off. Pull out the silicone ring inside the lid, because that is where mould hides. For glassware, rub a cloudy glass with white vinegar. Mineral film from hard water wipes away; dishwasher etching stays, and an etched glass will never shine again. Run a finger round each rim for chips and check where each stem joins the bowl, the weakest point.
Listing a set of cups or a tumbler that was a gift:
count the pieces and say whether the set is complete, and state plainly whether it is lead crystal or glass. Photograph stemware against a window so the clarity shows. For a tumbler, add a photo of the base and the open lid, mention the box if you still have it, and say whether it still keeps ice. When a buyer comes from Alajuela or Nicoya to collect, fill the tumbler with ice water an hour before they arrive: an outside that feels dry and room temperature in their hand proves the vacuum better than any photo.