The right glass will help raise your cocktail to the next level, and each style of glassware serves its own unique purpose. I'll go over all the glassware I use by breaking them up into three categories and showing you my favorites. Then as a bonus, I'll also cover the bottle and carafe I use for my citrus and syrups (that's another question I've received a lot). I've tried to link as many of my glasses down below, along with some comparable options!
Cocktail Glassware Essentials
The Lowball
If I could have one glass behind the bar it would probably be a lowball. Also known as a rocks glass or old fashion glass, the lowball is extremely versatile. You will see many cocktails served in this as well as spirits neat. They are very durable and sturdy with their thick bases. These workhorse glasses won’t crack when muddling and they come in all sorts of styles, including tiki!
the Highball
Just like its shorter counter part this is in the tumbler family because it doesn’t have a stem or handle to it. Also known as the Collins glass,the highball is great for a summer drink, having plenty of room for carbonation. They typically range from 8-14oz.
Stemmed Glassware
This is a very large category, especially if we include beer & wine glasses so here we will just be focusing on cocktail specific glasses. The purpose of the stem on these glasses is to keep the cocktail chilled so you can place your hand below the portion that holds the drink. A great place to start is the Martini glass, iconic shape that has gotten rather large in recent years. I like to keep mine a bit on the smaller side since the cocktails I put in them are typically spirit forward. Next we have the coupe glass, which makes any cocktail look classy. This was first made to hold champagne but I use it across several cocktails. Finally my favorite is the Nick & Nora, which falls between the coup and martini in shape. You get the best of both worlds with this glass, simple yet elegant.
BOTTLES / CARAFES
Its great to have a cocktail carafe on hand for syrups or it can be used as a sidecar for extra cocktails!
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