Shot Glass History: From Wild West Origins to the Iconic Red Crown of Today
- Angie Villery
- Dec 7
- 4 min read
If you’ve ever raised a shot glass, you’ve held a piece of history—small enough to fit in your palm, but bold enough to survive wars, rebellions, Prohibition, and several generations of questionable birthday decisions.
But the shot glass didn’t begin its journey as a cute party favor. Far from it. Like many great American traditions, its roots are tangled in folklore, grit, improvisation, and a dash of good old-fashioned stubbornness.
So pull up a chair, pour yourself something smooth, and let’s travel back in time a bit.
Where It All Began: The Shot Heard ’Round the Bar
Legend has it the “shot glass” got its name in the Wild West, when bar patrons would sometimes pay with actual bullets. A small glass on the counter served two purposes:
Measure the whiskey.
Hold the ammo.
Whiskey for lead. Lead for whiskey. A frontier exchange system—if you didn’t have coins, you “paid your shot.”
Historians debate whether this is literal or just a tall tale (and honestly, doesn’t every good drinking story start with a little embellishment?). But we do know this:
By the late 1800s, tiny “whiskey tasters” or “whiskey tubes” were already used in saloons.
By the early 1900s, the name “shot glass” finally appeared in print.
And by the 1920s…? Well, that’s when everything really got interesting.
How the “Shot Glass” Earned Its Name
By the early 1900s, something curious happened: the term “shot glass” finally appeared in print.
America was shifting into a more modern bar culture. Mixology was becoming a craft. Saloons were upgrading into established bars. And as bartending evolved, drinkers demanded one thing: consistency.
They wanted a fair pour—not a bartender’s whim.
So glassmakers began producing small, sturdy, standardized vessels that held roughly one ounce.
Before that first printed reference, these mini glasses had gone by many names:
Whiskey tasters or tumblers
Pony glasses
Jiggers (though jiggers eventually became their own measurement)
Whiskey shooters
But “shot glass” was different. It captured the spirit of the era—quick, bold, unapologetic.
It sounded like the way people actually drank.
Early mail-order catalogs and bar-supply ads are believed to be the first to use the term publicly. Once it hit print, it spread fast. The shot glass officially entered American culture—just in time for the country to take its drinking underground.
1925-26 Montgomery Ward mail order catalog
Prohibition: When the Shot Glass Became a Signal
When Prohibition slammed into America in 1920, people didn’t stop drinking—they just got smarter. A shot glass wasn’t just convenient; it was strategic.
In speakeasies:
It was easy to hide.
It made sharing quick.
It meant less liquid to dump if the cops raided.
For bootleggers and club owners, that tiny glass became a whisper of defiance—quick, quiet and perfect for the secret world of late-night pours.
Gyte Ryte’s own brand story draws from this same era of outlaws and innovators. Their signature red shot glass is a tribute to that rebellious energy, placed proudly as a symbol of celebration and heritage.
The Color Red: A Bootlegger’s Secret Signal
Now here’s a fun detail most people don’t know: Red was important to bootleggers.
Why red? Because red is visible in low light.
During the Prohibition years, deals often happened at night—down dirt roads, behind barns, or backstage at rowdy clubs. A red mark, red rag, or red-painted cap could be seen from far away by headlights or lanterns. It was a subtle way for runners to identify “who’s who” without saying a word.
It was subtle but effective—a hidden code in plain sight.
So when Gyte Ryte places a red glass shot glass on top of every bottle—real glass and stamped with the emblem—it’s not just decoration. It’s a throwback to the quiet signals of America’s bootlegging past. A wink to the old rules. A nod to the ancestors. And honestly? A bold, beautiful crown.
Crowned in Red: Gyte Ryte Vodka’s Iconic Shot Glass
It isn’t plastic. And it’s not a gimmick. This is real glass—stamped with the emblem and placed by hand on every single bottle.
The red shot glass topping Gyte Ryte Vodka has quickly become one of the most distinctive design details in the spirits world. The brand describes it as the “main attraction” perched on top of a towering Art Deco bottle—like the crown of royalty.
It’s one of the few bottles in the world that treats the shot glass not as an accessory… but as the identity.
Some folks even ask whether the vodka is flavored because of the red accents. Nope. No flavoring. No infusions.
Gyte Ryte Vodka is a neutral vodka—just French winter wheat and pristine Pacific Northwest water—crafted to be an exceptional sipping vodka. Smooth, floral, naturally sweet on the finish.
The red is heritage, not flavor.
“The Hat Matches the Shoes”: A Coordinated Design with Purpose
Co-Founder Cuba Villery has a favorite phrase when referring to the red accents on the bottle: “The hat matches the shoes.”
It’s style wisdom. Cultural pride. A little swagger. And it means: Everything is coordinated the way it should be.
In fashion, it’s the idea that your look tells a story from head to toe.
In spirits? Gyte Ryte makes it literal:
Red shot glass on top of the bottle = the hat
Red glass bottom underneath the bottle = the shoes
Just like a pair of Louis Vuitton red-bottom heels, the bottle is dressed head to toe in matching flair—a subtle flex for those paying attention.
A Final Toast to the Little Glass with Big History
From the dusty saloons of the Wild West to the hidden speakeasies of Prohibition, from bootlegger signals to modern red-bottom swagger, and from whispered rebellion to handcrafted elegance … the shot glass has traveled far.
Today, Gyte Ryte Vodka carries that heritage forward—reviving the spirit of the bootleggers with a polished, rebellious bottle crowned by its iconic red shot glass.
So when you raise that little glass, know this: you’re not just sipping vodka—you’re adding your chapter to a story more than a century in the making.
Comments