A visit that brought the history of the Giant Snifters Club back to life

^{Ludmila Pavlousková, née Chocholatá, brought the original designs for the Giant Snifters
from her uncle František Chocholatý’s estate to the Moser glassworks.}

Ludmila Pavlousková arrived at the glassworks with valuable documents from her uncle's estate. She brought the original designs for the Giant Snifters, the patent documentation, and material relating to their presentation at the EXPO 58 World’s Fair in Brussels. It was there that the Giant Snifters earned exceptional recognition. They won the Grand Prix Award twice: once as part of the Moser collection and again as part of the Czechoslovak Restaurant Praha amenities, where visitors were shown the ceremonial goblet swirling and drink pouring.

^{František Chocholatý with the collection of Giant Snifters.}

During her time at the glassworks, Ludmila Pavlousková also went through the traditional initiation ritual and entered the Giant Snifters Club. She then recorded her experience in the commemorative book. Her emotions were evident not only in what she wrote, but also throughout the meeting that, after decades, reconnected the story of the Chocholatý family with the history of the glassworks.

Ludmila Pavlousková is herself a significant figure in Czech culture. As a costume designer, she worked in a number of theatres and collaborated with leading directors, including  Jan Grossman, Ivan Rajmont, Lída Engelová, Oto Ševčík, and Miroslav Krobot. Alongside her theatre work, she was also active in applied graphic design.

^{Ludmila Pavlousková being admitted to the Giant Snifters Club.}

The founder, František Chocholatý

Her uncle, František Chocholatý, left an indelible mark on the history of the Moser brand. A sociable and enterprising manager, he built a singular cultural phenomenon around glass. In 1957, his design and collaboration with Rudolf Schwedler were used to create the Giant Snifters drinking set in clear crystal. The set was introduced to great acclaim at the film festivals in Karlovy Vary, Cannes, Monte Carlo, and Sorrento. The Giant Snifters Club went on to become one of the most remarkable marketing projects of its time.

^{Ludmila Pavlousková signing the Giant Snifters Club’s commemorative book.}

Membership was – and still is – tied to a ceremonial ritual. Prospective members choose the goblet that speaks to them most and send it into a sort of dance on the while pouring Karlovy Vary Becherovka into it while it swirls. Only then do they find out they’re also required to drink it. This is followed by their entry in the commemorative book, together with a certificate produced on handmade paper. Membership is lifelong and passed down from generation to generation.

The Giant Snifters are singular not only in their size but also in their character. Each has its own shape, its own sound, and its own personality. Each rings a different note when raised in a toast, recalling the sound of crystal bells. František Chocholatý drew on different human physiognomic types when he created them, which is how the set came to include slender, tall, rounded, and even robust goblets.

Film stars, kings, and presidents

In almost seven decades, hundreds of figures from around the world have entered the Giant Snifters Club: film stars, musicians, artists, monarchs, athletes, and prominent entrepreneurs. The glassworks archive now holds more than twenty commemorative books filled with signatures, personal messages, and memories. In 2025, the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, and his wife Eva Pavlová also became members of the club.

^{French actor Gérard Philipe with a Giant Snifter at the Czechoslovak Restaurant Praha at EXPO 58 in Brussels.}

Next year marks seventy years since the Giant Snifters were created. Ludmila Pavlousková's visit was a reminder not only of František Chocholatý’s extraordinary legacy, as he united craftsmanship with elegance and social life, but also of the power of the stories that have formed around Moser crystal for generations.

^{The famous jazzman Louis Armstrong and his wife Lucille entering the Giant Snifters Club in 1965.}

^{The King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, and his wife Sofía entering the Giant Snifters Club in 1987.}

^{In 1996, during the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, American actress Whoopi Goldberg entered the Giant Snifters Club.}

^{Left: President Václav Havel’s entry in the Giant Snifters Club’s commemorative book.
Right: Entry of president Petr Pavel and his wife Eva in the Giant Snifters Club’s commemorative book.}

^{In 2025, President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva visited the Moser glassworks and entered the Giant Snifters Club.}