The 3 Cocktail Glasses Every Home Bar Needs

It’s no secret that I truly enjoy mixing up a good cocktail. In fact, mixing and making a badass drink every Friday for the Bon Appeteach “Book Club” has taught me a few things and like any good teacher, I wanted to share! I get asked often about the different tools I use in my cocktail photos or in my videos (via Instagram).

Believe it or not, the type of glass you serve certain cocktails out of actually does matter (impacts the taste, aromatics, and if the cocktails are shaken or stirred). As a food photographer, stylist, and amateur cocktail consumer, I obviously have a rather extensive collection of glassware.

However, all you really are 3 types of glasses and you are well on your way to shaking up hundreds of perfect drinks in your own home.

The Coupe:

The coupe glass is hands down my favorite out of all the different styles of glassware I have in my bar. It’s extremely versatile and works for everything from a classic martini or manhattan to a fancy champagne cocktail too (like the French 75, my favorite).

Coupe glasses have a wider, more cone-like shape. This allows for the aromatics of the cocktail to reach your nose before actually taking a sip (*Fun Fact- Did you know that the majority of what you taste actually comes from your sniffer?).

When should you use a coupe glass with a cocktail you ask? Whenever it is shaken and the drink is strained (i.e. no ice in the glass).

My current favorites are these and these!

Examples:

The French 75

The Sidecar Cocktail

The Cranberry Pisco Sour

The Rocks Glass:

The rocks glass is another tried and true classic that works for many classic cocktails that are served on ice (hence the “rocks” in its name). Whether you like a larger rocks glass (a double) or the original (single), both work really well for cocktails that are built directly into the cup (like an old-fashioned).

You can also make muddled drinks (like this Whiskey Smash) because the base is sturdy and the glass is short (this also helps with the aromatics of the cocktail).

My current bar includes these (very close to mine, they don’t make my exact style anymore though) and these!

Examples:

Apple Cider Whiskey Smash 

Smoked Old Fashioned 

The Collins Glass (AKA Highball):

Finally, the last glass every home bartender should include is a collins or highball glass. A collins glass is a thinner, taller, glass.

Usually you would drink out of this glass with a straw (so aromatics aren’t necessarily the focus). Commonly, you would see drinks like the mojito, vodka soda, gin and tonic, classic tiki cocktails, and different carbonated mixed drinks served this glass over ice.

Rule of thumb? Mixed drinks with the addition of soda water work best in this glass!

My current favorites are these and these!

Examples:

The Dark & Stormy Cocktail 

The Gin Rickey

Now, there are several other styles of glassware that you can add to your bar, but you definitely can’t go wrong with these 3 styles to make the most of the liquor that’s on the shelf. I hope this quick and easy guide is helpful for you and I hope to see you all mixing and shaking along with me for Season 3 of the Bon Appeteach “Book Club”. Cheers!