If you’ve been to bars or cocktail bars, you’ll have noticed that many cocktails are served (and drunk) in very different glasses or stemware. Not all cocktail glasses are created equal because they’ve all been specially designed to enhance the flavours, aesthetics, and temperatures of the cocktails you’re drinking. Yes, there’s actually science behind your favourite bar drinks!
Here are some of the most popular cocktail glasses that you’ll be able to find at the bar.
Highball / Collins glass
These tall and narrow highball glasses (8-12oz) are compatible with cocktails that comprises a shot and a soda, like gin & tonic or whisky soda (aka Highball). Bartenders often mix the ingredients and serve within the same glass (instead of preparing it in another vessel and pouring it in). Thanks to its height, there’s enough room for ice and the movement of the bubbles in the soda.
A Collins glass (10-14oz) is a taller (and sometimes wider) version of the highball glass. The Collins glass is intended for a multi-ingredient mixed drink topped with a sparkling component, while the highball was originally intended for a spirit and a mixer only. However, most bars tend to use them interchangeably.
Lowball / Rocks / Old-fashioned glass
Lowball glasses, also called rocks glasses, come in 2 sizes (single and double) and are often used for serving spirits such as whisky (neat or with ice – usually a large cube or ball of ice). It’s also the preferred vessel for certain cocktails, such as the Negroni and the Old Fashioned, which it’s named after. Many Old Fashioned glasses have fancy cut glass patterns, which makes the drink feel that much fancier.
While lowball and rocks glasses are used interchangeably with the Old Fashioned glass, the noticeable difference is in the size. As the name implies, Old Fashioned glasses are sized to hold exactly one Old Fashioned (6-8oz). They’re also designed for the drink to be made directly in them; the wide and sturdy base makes it ideal for muddling ingredients like mint and other herbs, and its wide top enables you to smell the drink’s ingredients. Rocks glasses vary more in size and are traditionally 7oz or larger.
Martini glass
The iconic Martini glasses (about 7oz) are exclusively used to serve “up” drinks – those shaken or stirred till chilled and served without ice – like the Martini, Aviation or Manhattan. It debuted at the 1925 Paris Exhibition in what many consider as a modernist take on the coupe glass (see below) at the height of the Art Deco movement. It only became popular during the Prohibition era (1920 to 1933) at the height of the speakeasies.
The glass’ long stem is designed to minimise heat transfer from your hand to the drink, and the wide brim enhances the liquor’s aroma. This is why it’s important to pre-chill the glasses – either in a freezer or with ice – before using. Even though it’s a popular stemware, the 12oz versions were top-heavy, many bartenders and servers would tell you that even when it’s parked, it’s easily toppled over with the slightest of movements. These days, there are variations on the glass, some with more rounded bases.
Coupe glass
Coupe (pronounced ‘coop’) glasses are similar to Martini glasses in that they’re stemmed (so you don’t warm drinks with your hand) and are designed especially for cocktails served “up” without ice. The noticeable difference is the coupe’s broad, shallow saucer which is a safe alternative to the spill-prone Martini glass. Interestingly, it was designed in the mid 17th century in England by a Benedictine monk!
The coupe was once used to serve champagne (before champagne flutes became a thing), and they’re now used to serve cocktails like sours or daiquiris, and sometimes even beer. The wide top makes it easy to display a cocktail’s foamy head (like in a whisky sour). Some designs feature angular sides, while others are more rounded.
An interesting variant of this is the Margarita glass, which is exclusively for serving (you guessed it) margaritas.
Nick and Nora glass
Nick and Nora glasses are like a cross between a coupe glass and a small wine glass, typically used by mixologists for cocktails served “up”, just like in Martini and Coupe glasses. The glass is named after the 2 main characters – Nick the retired detective and Nora the heiress – of the 1934 thriller novel, The Thin Man. As part of their crime-fighting capers, Nick and Nora often enjoyed discussions over Martinis served in small wine glass-shaped glasses.
The curved design of the glass allows for the delivery of the aromas of spirit-forward, high alcohol content drinks (usually without citrus) while minimising spillage. With a smaller capacity of around 5oz, it strikes a balance between coupes and V-shaped glasses, making it ideal for serving precise cocktail measurements.
Hurricane glass / Sling glass
You may recognise this glass because it’s the one the Singapore Sling is served in. It’s often used to serve complicated mixed drinks with a tropical or tiki theme (typically using rum and fruit juices), like pina colada, Blue Hawaii, and Mai Tai. The glass was probably invented in the 1940s in New Orleans to serve the Hurricane cocktail, which is a double serving of rum and fruit juices and sweeteners invented at Pat O’Brien’s bar in New Orleans.
Typically taller and wider than the highball glass, this curved glass (20oz) is so named because it resembles a hurricane lamp. The shape is effectively the same as the German Pilstulpe (Pilsner Tulip) or Biertulpe (Beer tulip) traditionally used for some German Pilsner beers, as well as some Belgian beers.
Next time you’re at a bar savouring cocktails (even non-alcoholic ones), remember that the glass you hold in your hand does more than just contain liquid. It’s specifically designed for the cocktail you chose.
