The plague of the mason jar: Let us pray that it has reached its peak.

I suspect (or perhaps just hope) that we've reached peak mason jar, because those goddamn things are everywhere.  

Mason jars are lovely pieces of glassware, and if you have some peaches or prunes in need of preservation, I would be the first to recommend them.

But as for the drinking glasses, mason jars kind of suck. Unlike the standard drinking glass, with its smooth, uniform rim that allows easy transfer of liquid from glass to mouth, mason jars have a thick, irregular rim, designed for a metallic lid and not the human mouth, and are therefore simply not as pleasant or efficient for drinking.

Standard drinking glasses are also sized so that they fit easily into a human hand. Mason jars are large, clunky containers not meant to be picked up and put down repeatedly. Little kids have difficulty even lifting a mason jar unless they use two hands.    

Mason jars are also jars. They look like jars. They act like jars. When I see them on a table, I think jar. 

Even when they are transformed into things like this, I still see jars in need of pickles:

I understand why people are using mason jars as drinking glasses. They believe that mason jars will project a home-spun, old timey, seemingly effortless DIY aesthetic. They think that mason jars on the dining room table will add a sense of nostalgia and the ease of country living to their home. 

"Oh dear! All of my drinking glasses are down by the creek, waiting to be washed. But fear not, friends. We haven't harvested our cucumbers from the upper field yet, so we can drink from these empty jars today."

I understand the sentiment. I just think it's dumb.

I also think that mason jars become so ubiquitous and pervasive that they have ceased to appear different or special. About half of all pages on Pinterest and Etsy feature mason jars in some way. You can find them at restaurants and bars and hotels.

You can find mason jars in 7-11.

As a wedding DJ, it is rare for me to work at a wedding that does not feature mason jars in some way.

Mason jars are everywhere. They are the locust of the glassware universe.

Perhaps someday - sooner than later, I hope - we will return to a simpler time, when lemonade is poured into tall, thin drinking glasses and pickles and peaches are sealed into mason jars and stored in root cellars and overstuffed pantries for a later date.

That is real nostalgia.