Cocktail Glasses: Basics for Beginners

Cocktail Glasses: Basics for Beginners

If you’re just getting started in the world of cocktails, there are a few essential items you’ll need, and a set of basic cocktail glasses is definitely one of them. In this post, I’ll share some insights about bar glasses to help you make informed choices as you dive into cocktail culture.

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Realistically, you can serve any cocktail in a jelly jar, but the right cocktail glass adds something special. While appropriate glassware can significantly enhance your drinking experience, you don’t need to break the bank. Start with basic bar glassware and gradually add more as needed. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Basic Drinking Glasses – Essentials you probably already own.
• Cocktail Glasses: The Basics – Fundamental cocktail glasses to start with.
• Next Step Bar Glasses – Options for less common drinks or glasses that score style points.
• Specialty Drink Glassware – Glasses for specific and often luxurious drinks.

Ideally, your basic drinking glasses should be glass, and you should have enough to serve yourself and your guests comfortably. Start with a couple and add more if necessary.

Basic Drinking Glasses

Hopefully, you already have a variety of basic drinking glasses in your kitchen. You might have miscellaneous glasses that can be used for cocktails, although drinks generally taste better without cartoon characters or local business logos on the glassware. Here are a few types of basic glasses you likely have:

• Coffee Cups – Perfect for hot beverages, but also versatile for other drink types. Heat-resistant glass versions are preferable, but ceramic mugs work in a pinch.
• Wine Glasses (White & Red) – Whether you drink wine or not, these are essential. White wine glasses are thinner, while red wine glasses are wider and more robust.
• Beer Glasses – Pint glasses are some of the most versatile and should be a staple in your collection.

Cocktail Glasses: The Basics

To get started with cocktails, begin with a few essential glasses. Here’s a list of basics that are most useful:

Old Fashioned Glasses

Also known as rocks glasses, these short tumblers are ideal for a variety of drinks served on the rocks. They’re perfect for cocktails like:

• White Russian
• Rusty Nail
• Gin & Tonic
• Sazerac

The sturdy design makes these glasses great for muddling fruit or other ingredients.

Martini Glasses

Martini glasses are iconic and essential for serving many classic cocktails. A few reasons to own Martini glasses are:

• Functionality – The conical shape enhances the drink's aroma, and the stem keeps the beverage insulated from your hand.
• Legend – A story (likely fueled by alcohol) says the Martini glass was invented during US Prohibition because it made spilling alcohol easier.
• Cool Factor – Think Vintage James Bond, retro style, and a dash of Don Draper.

Avoid oversized glasses; smaller ones often make more sense. Ensure you have enough space to store them. Drinks served in Martini glasses include:

• Martini
• Manhattan
• Cosmopolitan
• Brandy Alexander

Highball Glasses

Highball glasses are taller versions of Old Fashioned glasses and hold 8-12 ounces. Commonly used for tall, mixed drinks with ice, they’re ideal for:

• Cuba Libre
• Zombie
• Screwdriver
• Vodka & Soda

These glasses are a must-have for your home bar.

Next Step Bar Glasses

Once you’ve got the basics, the next step in bar glassware will depend on your tastes and preferences. Not critical but enhancing your cocktail experience, here are some suggestions:

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Here are a few glasses to consider:

Margarita Glasses

Margaritas are festive and versatile, served up, on the rocks, or frozen. While not very versatile and space-consuming, they’re essential for frozen Margarita fans.

Coupe Glasses

Popular for champagne, Coupes are stylish and add a touch of elegance to cocktails like:

• Martinez
• Daiquiri
• Sidecar
• Aviation

Originally molded from Marie Antoinette’s breast (a myth, but a fun one), Coupes hold 6-8 ounces.

Cordial Glasses

Great for after-dinner liqueurs, Cordial glasses are available in stemmed or stemless versions, holding 1-4 ounces. They can also double as shot glasses for:

• Limoncello
• Port
• Amaretto
• Frangelico

Fluted Champagne Glasses

Essential for sparkling wine cocktails, these tall, stemmed glasses retain bubbles well. Holding about 10 ounces, they’re necessary for:

• Champagne Cocktail
• French 75
• Mimosa
• Kir Royale

Collins Glasses

Collins glasses are taller and thinner than Highballs, designed to keep drinks cold and carbonated. They’re perfect for:

• Mojito
• Dark & Stormy
• Tom Collins
• Mai Tai

Shot Glasses

Recognizable by almost everyone, shot glasses hold 1.5 ounces and are essential for shots or more involved drinks like:

• Boiler Maker
• Lemon Drop
• B-52
• Various Other Concoctions

If you enjoy these cocktails, shot glasses are a must.

Specialty Glassware

Specialty glassware reflects personal taste and experience. Here are a few options worth considering:

Snifters

Perfect for whiskies or brandies, Snifters have a wide body that narrows at the top to warm and focus the spirit’s aroma. Essential if you enjoy after-dinner drinks by the fire.

Copper Mugs

Specialized for the Moscow Mule, copper mugs have a fascinating history tied to a successful marketing campaign in the 1940s.

Julep Cups

Crafted from silver or pewter, Julep Cups keep your drink frosty and are perfect for traditionalists or Mint Julep fans.

Conclusion

Enjoying a cocktail with friends and family is a true joy, and the right cocktail glasses can enhance the experience. These basic and next-step glasses are a great starting point for any home bartender. Whether you buy them online, find them in your attic, or score some at a flea market, make sure you have a set of cocktail glasses for your mixing adventures.

I've bought and tried various types of glassware for cocktails. Glasses for typical shaken drinks include a cheap martini glass (165 ml), a nick and nora style glass and a coupe (125 ml), among others. This matches with sizes found in shops around the web, where they might even go higher in volume.

However, the basic recipes for cocktails tend to end up a lot smaller, to the point where it looks silly in a glass. For example, the "IBA Official" Aviation Cocktail calls for 75 ml of spirits and juices, and shaking over ice (using 30mm square solid cubes, about 5 to 6) will not dilute it to 125 let alone 165 ml of fluids.

Obviously I can just scale up ingredients proportionally. But given that "typical" cocktail glasses don't match up with "typical" cocktail recipes, I feel like I'm making a mistake.

So my question is: how do you go from a typical cocktail recipe (with around 75 ml of ingredients) to a typical 125-165 ml final product?

In my examples above, the sizes are for the liquids, assuming around 10% of leeway. So for example the martini glass is 165 ml, but around 180 ml when filled up completely.

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