Glassware. It’s a key component of any bar program, and frankly a great way to make your cocktail shine. But there is some degree of nuance in choosing the right glass – so I thought I’d take a moment to go over the most common glassware you’ll see behind the bar and a few thoughts on when you might choose each.
By the way, a lot of glassware choice is subjective. So it’s worth asking around at your own bar to see how it’s done there. Do you serve a Rum and Coke in a highball or bucket? Maybe your bar doesn’t stock coupe glasses at all, and you use martini glasses for anything “up”. It’s all fair game – so take a moment to check in with your team first.
The Martini Glass
Perhaps the most quintessential cocktail glass, the Martini glass has a distinct triangular shape and long stem. It’s (obviously) the glass of choice for Martinis, but is also often used interchangeably with coupe or cocktail glasses as well. Martini glasses traditionally held between 4-6oz, but nowadays you can often find them up to 10-12 ounces in size. (I don’t recommend serving Martinis in a 12oz glass.)
Use the Martini glass when:
- The customer asks for their cocktail “up” or “straight up”.
- It’s a spirit-forward drink served without ice.
- You feel like testing the server’s balance.
The Rocks, Bucket or Old Fashioned Glass
These terms are used more or less interchangeably to describe a glass used for Old Fashioneds or drinks served on the rocks. It’s a shorter, tumbler style of glass, typically with a thick bottom and straight, vertical sides.
They come in a variety of sizes, from as small as 4 ounces to larger options up to 10 ounces. I personally refer to a bucket glass larger than 8 ounces as a “Double Old Fashioned” glass, but most people don’t bother to differentiate.
Go for a Rocks glass when:
- You’re serving a spirit “neat” or it’s an Old Fashioned cocktail. No surprise here.
- The cocktail is typically served “up” but the customer wants it on the rocks. (Also, when ordering a spirit “on the rocks”.)
- You’re serving a simple two-part cocktail (Gin & Tonic, Vodka Soda, etc.).
The Collins or Highball Glass
Technically, the Collins and Highball glasses are not the same thing. But since most bars will only stock one of the two, the terms are used interchangeably in recipes. Just use whichever you happen to have at your bar. Both glasses are tall, tumbler style glasses with vertical or almost vertical sides. Highballs typically hold between 8-12 ounces where the Collins glass can hold anywhere from 12- 16 ounces.
A Highball is a great choice when:
- A large part of the drink is mixer, like in a Mojito, Dark & Stormy or Cape Cod.
- The cocktail has a large amount of ice, especially when crushed like in a Swizzle.
- You just really want to use a crazy straw in the drink.
The Coupe Glass
While it may not be found at every bar in the industry, the Coupe is a staple in “craft” bars and I am a “craft” cocktail nerd, so I’m going to go ahead and mention it. Perhaps most easily described as a “rounded” Martini glass, the Coupe is a delicate, stemmed glass that is very commonly used for craft and pre-prohibition cocktails. You’ll usually find them between 5-10 ounces in size.
Fun fact: the coupe pre-dates the martini glass and many believe it was originally designed for serving Champagne. Unfortunately, it was an awful choice for a bubbly drink and was co-opted for cocktails a few hundred years later.
Serve your cocktail in a Coupe when:
- It’s a cocktail that typically has a juice component to it, like a Cosmopolitan.
- If your bar or restaurant uses egg whites in cocktails, the coupe would be the perfect glass if the drink were served up.
- Your cocktail needs to make a quick getaway.
The Champagne Flute:
I debated whether or not to include the Champagne flute here, as it’s really more of a wine glass than a cocktail glass. But I do like to serve some cocktails in a flute, so I think it’s worth mentioning.
A tall, slender, stemmed glass, the Champagne flute is specifically designed to retain carbonation as long as possible while making you feel like a million bucks.
Use a Champagne Flute when:
- Serving a cocktail that’s predominantly sparkling: French 75, Mimosa or Bellini.
- You’re making a Brandy Crusta. Can’t explain it, it’s just how this cocktail is done.
- You really want your guest to stick out their pinky.
The list above is not comprehensive by any means – there is a whole world of unique and creative glassware options out there, and depending on the style of your bar, you might use something I haven’t even mentioned. From Julep cups to Moscow Mule mugs, Nick & Nora glasses to the humble shot glass – you can stock as much creative drinkware as your customers can steal-err-enjoy.