Hello 2022! Hello Year of Glass!
GlassblowerBen welcomes 2022 with some exciting new updates
Happy New Year!
It’s been a wild past few years and we’re so excited to share some incredible updates with you.
2022 has been named the United Nations International Year of Glass to celebrate the importance of glass to society as an art form, material for technological advancement, and its unparalleled versatility and value in the world. Glass is unlike any other material you can work with. It’s also a healing art form that provides rich experiences and connection for people all over the world. We are lucky that we get to work with glass everyday and we thank you for your appreciation of glass and your continued support.
To celebrate the Year of Glass, we are excited to offer all our newsletter subscribers a 15% off coupon code for any single order during 2022. Please use “GLASSYEAR” during checkout and enjoy responsibly.
Introducing 2 New Glasses
The Henry Glass is short & stout, it is as tall as it is wide, making it the perfect glass for any spherical ice cube or ball.
The Toby Glass is an incredible stacking glass that nestles nicely on top of any Dombey Glass. It’s a fun way to enjoy beautiful glassware and save space. Makes for a great gift and is available with Chakra stamps, allowing for the chakras to be stacked and energetically aligned.
Workshops at Corning Museum of Glass
In January 2022, Ben assisted world renowned Glassblower Bill Gudenrath for a weeklong workshop on Venetian Glassblowing Techniques at the Corning Museum of Glass in early January
In August of this year, Ben will be teaching a 1-week long workshop at the Corning Museum of Glass called “Blown Away”.
Business gets Personal
n January of 2022 Ben Dombey married Allyson Mackay and he got more than a wife, he got a new business partner. Allyson is managing GlassblowerBen’s business operations, local events and workshops, as well as assisting Ben in the hot shop. Allyson has a diverse background with many years of experience leading innovation and design for software development and is excited to bring the product mindset to the studio.
You can also expect to receive news from us more frequently as we are making some big changes. Stayed tuned in and if you’re ever in New Orleans, please stop by. We’d love to show you around the studio.
Rent out our Event Space
We have been transforming the studio space next to the hot shop to better accommodate students, staff, and guests alike. This space will soon be available to rent for parties, special events, and more. Reach out to shop@glassblowerben.com to learn more.
Learning Space
As we look to skill up our staff and bring the joy of glass to students from all walks of life, we are improving the hot shop with a second glory hole, furnace, and bench. Reach out to shop@glassblowerben.com for more information on classes and local workshops.
Pickles, the dog, (pictured) may or may not be part of the teaching team.
Coming Soon: Collections!
As we grow our business, we are focusing on doing special releases of glasses known as collections. Our first collection release will be the Tiger Glass.
2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger and that means drink up. We will be releasing a limited number of tiger glasses starting in March 2022. Check back on our website and follow us on instagram to stay in the know.
Christmas Gifts for Guys: Specialty Whiskey Glasses
Are you looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the men in your life? Well, you can stop searching right now. GlassblowerBen’s specialty whiskey glasses are the perfect Christmas gifts for guys this holiday season.
A Variety of Specialty Whiskey Glasses
GlassblowerBen offers a number of specialty, hand-stamped whiskey glasses that come in six varied sizes: small, medium, large, slanted, medium thin, and large thin.
Louisiana Themed Whiskey Glasses
As a Louisiana-based company located in historic New Orleans, GlassblowerBen has a host of specialty whiskey glasses for Louisiana residents and fans alike.
NOLA Manhole Cover Glass
Even our manhole covers have their own recognizable design. Enjoy this classic symbol of the City of New Orleans as a stamp on the bottom of a handcrafted Dombey glass.
The hand-stamped NOLA manhole cover glass makes an excellent gift for locals and visitors alike. The glassblowing technique we use makes each glass truly unique, a one-of-a-kind product you can’t buy in stores.
Louisiana Glass
Celebrate the Sportsman’s Paradise with a toast to craft spirits in an unparalleled, handmade custom rocks glass. Our state is like no other in the U.S., and drinkers will be able to enjoy a whole new drinking experience with this glass.
Uniquely Patterned Whiskey Glasses
Escher Pattern
This one-of-a-kind Dombey glass features an infinite, interlocking pattern that creates a mesmerizing optical effect and is a great celebration of mathematics and philosophy. It’s the perfect gift for the intellectual in your life.
Grid-Bottom Glass
With its simple, clean design, the hand-stamped grid bottom glass makes for a versatile gift that is the perfect present for anyone this holiday season.
Custom Dombey Glasses
For a Christmas gift that’s simple, sophisticated, and straight-drinking, we offer a three sizes of classic, custom Dombey rocks glasses that give you a great way to enjoy your favorite holiday whiskey without too much ornamentation.
Contact GlassblowerBen for Your Custom Holiday Whiskey Glasses
With Christmas drawing ever closer, now’s the time to stock up on unique holiday gifts to give to your friends and loved ones. All of our whiskey glasses are handmade by expert glassblower Ben Dombey, providing you with a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift that keeps on giving every time you pour one to celebrate. Contact us today or call 504-603-7080 to get your order in before the hectics of the holidays!
Meet the Maker Event Coming to GlassblowerBen!
Here at GlassblowerBen, we are thrilled to announce an exciting event happening soon right here at our very own studio. GlassblowerBen’s Ben Dombey has been selected as a featured “Maker” by Maker’s Mark. This recognition comes after years of hard work and a mastery of his craft. Maker’s Mark has scoured the country to find influential artists and artisans who create inspirational pieces. They have partnered with GlassblowerBen to throw an invitation-only event that highlights both their delicious cocktails and the beautiful glassware in which they are served.
On November 29th, a select number of people will be able to join us at the next Maker’s Mark “Meet the Maker.” Featuring crafty cocktails and delicious food, the highlight of the evening will be a glassblowing demonstration by Ben Dombey, finishing off with a Maker’s Mark tasting tour led by Maker’s Mark Diplomat Frank Krockenberger.
Agenda
Meet & Drink
The event starts at 5:00 P.M., where guests can grab a drink and meet with some of the team members at the studio’s main entrance.
Glassblowing & Whiskey Tasting
After this, there will be a glass blowing demonstration by Ben at 6:00pm, followed up by a Maker’s Mark portfolio tasting with Frank.
Cocktails, Snacks & Networking
The night will cap off with premium Maker’s Mark cocktails and snacks while networking with Ben and the Maker’s Mark team.
About Ben
Glass came into Ben Dombey’s life in 2003. It was like a release, a calling, a passion, and an addiction all rolled into one beautiful muscular fire-dance. Ben has devoted his life to this calling ever since.
Ben majored in glassblowing at Tulane University in New Orleans and received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2008. After two more years of working in the New Orleans glass world, it was time to head to grad school at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He received a Master's of Fine Arts in 2012.
A versatile and accomplished artist, Dombey has traveled around the world to work with the best of the best. He currently lives in New Orleans and continues to make glass full time.
About Frank
Frank started his career with Beam Suntory in October of 2015. He has what may be called the best job out there, educating and selling the Maker’s Mark portfolio of Bourbon. When Frank isn’t building relationships at one of the many great New Orleans bars and restaurants, he is at home with his wife Leslie and their two daughters, Delaney and Leighton. They travel as often as possible to draw on different experiences and indulge in their love of seeing new places.
Custom Glassblowing with GlassblowerBen
We hope to see you at our upcoming event, but you don’t have to wait until the end of November to come check us out! Contact GlassblowerBen today and see all the amazing glassware we can craft just for you!
Handcrafted Wine Glasses for The Federalist
Here at Glassblowerben, we are very proud to announce the launch of a new product to add to our growing collection of custom, handblown bar glasses: handcrafted wine glasses for The Federalist, an American-made craft wine company. These glasses were created after the forming of a special partnership between our two companies and they are only available through The Federalist.
About The Federalist
The Idea
The Federalist creates a bold craft wine product that is the culmination of years of development. Their collection is a distinctly American union of wines that break free from wine tradition in the pursuit of perfection. The Federalist’s founders were inspired by the ideal, “Whatever I’m drinking should taste good, dammit,” and their wine lives up to the phrase.
The result is a line of distinctly American craft wines with all of the bold spirit and unwavering character of the revolutionary American icons that adorn every bottle. With its origin arising from the “virtues of every forward-thinking, hard-working, red-blooded American,” this is American Craft Wine at its finest -- bold, original, and revolutionary.
The Barrels
Made from 100-year-old oak and old school friction fit iron hoops, the barrels used in production are every bit as special as the wine that’s made in them. Without these nuances of oak and iron, the end product probably wouldn’t taste so damn good.
The Bottles
The Federalist’s bottles are carefully crafted with every detail in mind to capture the beautiful essence of flavor and forward thinking of the wines contained within them. From the curve of the bottle’s neck to the display of revered American revolutionaries spread across the outside, the thought, care, and beauty put into the design ensures a perfect drinking experience and is entirely emblematic of the quality and craftsmanship that goes into the wines within.
The Glasses
No great craft wine can be complete without excellently custom, handcrafted wine glasses to go with it. As a proud product of our very own Ben Dombey, these gorgeous glasses are the epitome of simple, functional yet beautiful design and are expertly crafted with one purpose in mind: The Federalist and the great American spirit it represents.
We too represent that proud American artistic spirit in our own craft. Glassblowing is a proudly individualistic art that strikes at the heart of what this wine is all about. Hard work, dedication, and a commitment to unrivaled excellence are all hallmarks of this lost art, and we are honored to be able to make our own contribution to this “spirited” celebration of American greatness.
As an expertly handcrafted vessel, our hand blown wine glasses are also a testament to American ingenuity and the roughly refined tastes of our people. Our glasses’ gorgeous design serves as the perfect container to get the most in taste and enjoyment out of any wine you drink. Try these glasses with your next vino and we think you’ll agree. This is one practical piece of art that will make you proud to drink your wine -- and we can certainly all toast to that! Although The Federalist wine glasses are a special collection only available through The Federalist, you can shop for a wide selection of custom, handcrafted cocktail glasses in the GlassblowerBen store.