Which type of glass to choose for your drink
Wine Glasses
The types of wine glasses you use can heavily influence the aroma and temperature of your wine, so make sure you’re choosing the right glass for your reds, whites and rosés.
Red wine glasses
Red wines are best served in a wide-bowled glass with a large opening to allow the complex flavours space to soften and breathe. The wider bowl means there’s plenty of room to swirl the wine allowing the liquid to oxidise and evaporate – two chemical processes which will improve the flavour. The wide rim and also gives your nose room to inhale the aromas enhancing your sense of taste.
White wine glasses
White wine glasses are narrower than red wine glasses so the wine does not oxidise too quickly and the delicate, fruity flavours are preserved. The smaller surface area, along with the glasses’ long stem, will help keep your wine at a chilled drinking temperature.
Stemless wine glasses
Stemless wine glasses are most suitable for red wine because this wine is best served at room temperature. Using a stemless wine glass for white wine or rosé can warm the liquid past optimal drinking temperature. The versatility of these glasses is their main attraction. Alongside red wine, they can also be used for water and soft drinks, and are much easier to store than stemmed wine glasses.
Gin Glasses
Gin is the spirit of the moment and alongside the abundance of different flavours on offer, there’s also a whole host of gin glasses to choose from. To ensure you know your goblets from your copa de balon glasses, we’ve put together this in-depth guide to the best gin glasses for your G&T.
Cocktail Glasses
From fizzy and fruity drinks with ice and garnishes to short digestifs with just a little twist, cocktails or mocktails are typically served in a few different shaped glasses. The types of cocktail glasses you choose will depend on the cocktail you’re making, from the spirits you’re using to the amount of ice and garnishes you want to include.
Martini glasses
A martini glass has a conical silhouette with a wide rim and stem. This wide rim allows the nose of the drinker to get close to the surface of the liquid and enjoy the aromas and taste that are often associated with intricately-made cocktails. Traditionally, a martini glass holds around 3 to 6 ounces and is used to serve cocktails without ice.
Highball glasses & Collins glasses
A highball glass is a cylindrical glass tumbler that may have a slight taper. Although ‘highball glass’ and ‘Collins glass’ are used interchangeably, the Collins glass tends to be marginally taller and narrower than highballs. Both of these glasses are primarily used to serve drinks that have a high quantity of non-alcoholic mixer and are almost always used for serving drinks on the rocks.
Rocks glasses
A rocks glass, tumbler or lowball glass is a shorter sister to the highball glass. There are two types of rocks glasses: a single, smaller size that holds between 6 to 8 ounces of liquid and a double size that has a wider silhouette and can hold up to twice the amount of a single rocks glass. Tumblers can be used as all types of drinking glasses for all manner of drinks whether they be neat, on the rocks or chilled.
Tumblers
Tumbler glasses come in a wide range of shapes and sizes and are a great glass for spirits as well as other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. A sister style to highball glasses, tumblers have a solid base which is great for drinks that require muddled ingredients.
What kind of glass do you drink whiskey out of?
A tumbler’s short style is perfect for serving simple drinks such as whiskey on the rocks. Just ensure your tumbler has a wide opening as this allows the nose of the drinker to take in the depth of the spirit’s aromas, heightening the taste.
Champagne Glasses
Stemmed, stemless and saucers, champagne glasses should always be the most sophisticated glass in your collection. Make sure you choose the right glass to complement your bubbly, and your style.
Champagne flutes
One of the best ways to serve champagne or prosecco is in tall, thin flutes, with narrow openings that minimise carbonation loss and keep the bubbly… bubbly. In addition, champagne flutes have less surface area than wine glasses, which reduces contact with the air and your hands and keeps the drink chilled for longer. Champagne flutes or prosecco glasses usually hold 6 to 7 ounces and are also ideal to use for sparkling wine and water.
Champagne saucers
Champagne saucers, or champagne coupes, are stemmed glasses with a wide, shallow bowl. Although originally used for champagne, these glasses have also taken favour for cocktails that are served ‘up’ (without ice). The wide bowl means there’s plenty of room for garnish and the stem allows you to enjoy your drink without your hands warming the liquid.