Be it at home or in the bar, to make the most of your cocktail it’s crucial to serve it in the right glass. It’s not just about the look, it’s about temperature, the size and even the way it delivers the drink to your mouth.
5 Must-Have Glasses
Martini Glass
The classic martini glass is the iconic cocktail glass – With its slim stem and wide, conical bowl, this elegant glass really does look the part. Hold the glass by the stem and sip the delicious cocktail gently. The function of the stem is simple – to keep the bowl away from your hands, which would warm and spoil the drink. As a rule of thumb, use for shaken or stirred drinks served without ice like the Martini, Manhattan, Daiquiri and the Brooklyn.
Coupe
Originally created for fizz – a design destined to fail since the shape means the effervescence just evaporates – the coupe makes a perfect alternative for cocktails usually served in the classic Martini glass. The coupe brings stability and is the glass of choice for cocktails such as the Manhattan, Sidecar, Daiquiri and Brooklyn.
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Tall Glasses
The Delmonico, the Collins and the highball – each has a slightly different shape and capacity but are similar enough to be grouped under the tall, or chimney-style, glass. Use for drinks built in the glass served with ice and with an effervescent component, such as tonic or soda water. The shape helps retain the bubbles, in the same way a champagne flute works, and the size allows for both ice and mixer as with the Gin Fizz or even the classic gin and tonic.
The Lowball
The smaller and squatter lowball features a thick bottom to help maintain temperature. Used for drinks built without a shaker or mixing glass, the components are simply poured into the glass over ice and have no added effervescent component. Drinks like the Negroni, White Russian and the Stinger, should always be served this way.
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Pina Colada
There are a number of special glasses too and none more widely used as the fabulous pina colada glass. This classic, large, stemmed umbrella-toting creation is used for a wide variety of mixed long drinks and where added decoration is the thing, this is the bartender’s glass of choice.
