Cocktail Clinic: Glassware Arsenal

Here are a few simple pieces—coupes, highballs and snifters—that no home bar should be without. We've included essential cocktail recipes that go with each.

Plus:

Favorite Spirits

Cocktail Party Recipes

F&W’s Ultimate Cocktail Guide

Glassware

Collins

A taller and narrower glass than a highball. Commonly used for drinks served on ice and topped with a large amount of soda.

Recipes: Tom Collins • Limoncello Collins

Cordial

A tulip-shaped glass for small, powerful drinks and dessert wines as well as liqueurs served neat.

Recipes: Pomegranate Margaritas • Coquito

Coupe

A shallow, wide-mouthed glass primarily used for small (a.k.a. short), potent cocktails.

Recipes: Coupe Comeback

Fizz

A short, narrow glass for soda-topped drinks without ice. Also called a Delmonico or juice glass.

Recipes: Jasmine Gin Fizz • Chicago Fizz

Flute

A tall, slender glass whose shape helps keep Champagne and sparkling-wine cocktails effervescent.

Recipes: Sudden Headache • Americana

Highball

A tall, narrow glass that helps preserve the fizz in drinks served with ice and soda.

Recipes: Rosemary-Mint Highball • Vodka-Thyme Lemonade

Martini

A long-stemmed glass with a cone-shaped bowl for cocktails that are served straight up (drinks that are chilled with ice before they’re strained).

Recipes: Big Apple Martini • James Bond Martini

Mug

A durable ceramic or glass cup with a handle. Perfect for coffee spiked with whiskey or other spirits as well as for assorted hot drinks.

Recipes: Caffè di Alpi • Hot Buttered Rum

Pilsner

A thin, flared glass useful for beer. It’s also useful for oversize cocktails or drinks with multiple garnishes.

Recipes: Brewsky Sangria • Beer Pairings

Pint

A tall, flared glass with a wide mouth. For stirring or shaking drinks and serving oversize drinks.

Recipes: Mexican Three-Way • Bicyclette

Punch Bowl

A wide-mouthed bowl for serving a large batch of drinks for a crowd, usually with a ladle.

Recipes: Imperial Brandy Punch • Felicitation Punch

Red Wine

A balloon-shaped glass for fruity cocktails as well as punches. Stemless versions are fine stand-ins for snifters.

Recipes: O-Hurricane Cocktail • Strawberry-Lychee Punch

Rocks

A short, wide-mouthed glass for spirits served neat and cocktails poured over ice. Single rocks glasses hold around 6 ounces; double rocks hold closer to 12.

Recipes: Apple Bomb • Pimlico

Snifter

A wide-bowled glass for warm drinks, cocktail on ice and spirits served neat.

Recipes: Orchid • Blueberry Tea

White Wine

A tall, slightly rounded, stemmed glass for wine-based cocktails. White wine glasses are a fine substitute for highball glasses and are also good for frozen drinks.

Recipes: Bellagio Mist • White Sanguine