There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
On Trial: The Drinks Way kit from Leeway Home
Tester: Melanie Yates, caught between the IKEA and Riedel stemware stages of life
The Brief: If I'm being honest, I hadn't given very much thought to the state of my glassware cupboard until recently. All of the water-drinking vessels I own are completely random and mismatched. And not in a whimsical, quirky way — in an embarrassing, is-this-the-best-you-can-do kind of way. As for stemware? Truthfully, I can't remember the last time I owned a real wine glass.
Instead of waiting for my college-era glasses to eventually meet their slippery-fingered demise, I tried out Leeway's Drinks Way kit to see how it feels to be a person who owns glassware that literally sparkles. In sum, this is the life that I should've been leading all along.
Launched in 2020, Leeway Home brings beautifully made, classic dinnerware, flatware, and drinkware pieces to the tabletop. The brand's name is a nod to the fact that all of these wares are sold in buildable sets to accommodate whatever your current living situation may be. This facet of the brand is what really appealed to me: You don't have to commit to getting 16 complete place settings when all you really want are one or two settings of essential tabletop wares.
The Drinks Way kit is just one of their curated glassware kits, and it comprises five pieces: a short glass, tall glass, coupe, wine glass, and champagne flute. Looking at them all together, it is a truly stunning quintet. Each handblown piece is sloped and angled in characterful ways, and each of the differently shaped bowls of the glasses has a bubble of negative space right beneath it, so it looks like the liquid you're drinking is floating in the glass.
The rim of each glass is comfortably slim without feeling fragile, and they are all comfortable to hold — the stemless glasses, by virtue of their curved base and subtle raised punt in the center, feel much more natural in the hand than a standard cylindrical vessel does. Most importantly, they feel special but not untouchable. And notably, all five of these glass pieces are dishwasher-safe.
I also appreciate the thought that Leeway has put into its packaging. The kit that I received came smartly bundled in a multicompartment cardboard box, with each glass securely cushioned in place. I wasn't left with an overwhelming amount of plastic to dispose of, and everything I received was in pristine condition. Luckily, Leeway does offer insured shipping, and in the event of any damage en route to you, they will replace the broken items.
And finally, the price! The Drinks Way kit costs $60, which equates to $12 per glass. This unit price is more or less consistent across the various kits you'll find on Leeway's site. While this price is more than I've ever paid for an individual drinking glass, I don't think it's exorbitant, especially considering the construction and design of these handblown vessels. They don't look or feel cheap at all.
Closing Argument: At this point, I’ve sipped countless iced coffees, cold-brew teas, smoothies, and plain ol’ glasses of water from Leeway's beautifully shaped stemless vessels. And their wine, coupe, and champagne glasses have made effervescent kombucha, cider, and seltzer feel just as fancy as sipping top-shelf libations.
You can look at the Drinks Way as a “starter set” of glasses, but once you own it, you’ll never want to use anything else in your cupboard.
