Drinking out of a colorful vintage glass takes me back to a simpler time. My favorite has big red flowers with green leaves. Fill it with an ice cold beverage on a cold day and I'm chillin'.
During the 1930's through the 1950's informal glasses were made in a wide variety of styles and patterns for summertime entertaining. Most of the sets were made in the USA by companies such as Anchor Hocking and Hazel Atlas. The color was "pyro-glazed" over the glass. Although this was a heavy duty firing process (also used to put bright logos on pop bottles), I recommend hand washing as they tend to fade with repeated dishwasher cleaning.
Some of the glasses were give-aways as promotional items, but the nicer ones were sold in sets like that pictured above. They are harder to find like this, but are great to collect and use.
Little pyro-glazed juice glasses called "swanky swigs" originally held cheese spreads or jellies. Once the product was consumed the lid was thrown away and you had a great little glass. Today vintage swanky swigs sell for $2-$10 at antique shops. My kids drank out of swanky swigs with little toy animals on them at both of their Grandmother's homes - perhaps the same ones my husband and I drank from 40 plus years ago. And I have a few tucked away in my cupboard for when anyone young at heart wants a memories along with their OJ.
Cheers!
Mary