If someone says “mezcal glass” you will likely imagine a short, ribbed glass with a cross imprinted at its base. The vaso veladora has become synonymous with mezcal culture. As is so common in Mexico, this tradition stems from innovative thriftiness–although there may be an element of reverence as well. As Anna Bruce writes in her excellent deep dive into the history and significance of the veladora, “The cross connects us with the spiritual heritage of these glasses, which still hold votive (prayer) candles in Catholic churches and home altars across Mexico.”
Veladoras were designed to hold prayer candles, but when the candles melt away the remaining wax is removed and the sturdy little glasses are repurposed. They hold about 2.7 ounces, so are obviously better suited to liquor than, say, water or juice. They’ve been a popular way to drink mezcal since at least the mid-20th century.
While there are a lot of prayer candles in Mexico, the international popularity of mezcal has created a rising demand for the glasses. If you’re drinking from a veladora in a bar, chances are it never actually held a prayer candle but was actually purchased from one of the three Mexican companies that manufacture the glasses.
[…] glazed small clay cups with a wide brim that allow the layers of flavours to unfold. We also use ‘vaso veladoras’, another popular way of drinking Mezcal. Vaso Veladoras are small, simple glasses that were […]