Serving and mixing drinks at home can be a fun activity and is a great way to entertain friends or adult family members. Besides finding and trying out great recipes, the best way to take your cocktail creating skills to the next level can be to present them in the proper glasses. This helps make your drinks look as close to professional as possible and is important for practical reasons as well.
Certain glasses and cups are specially made to work well for different kinds of beverages. With all the options for flutes, glasses, mugs, and more, it can seem a little overwhelming at first. Here’s a quick overview of how to navigate the many types of cocktail glasses, as well as glasses for wine and beer, so you can choose the right glass for the right drink.
Specialty Drinks
Certain drinks are traditionally served in unique vessels. This includes drinks such as a moscow mule, which is served in a unique, copper glass that is supposed to help it taste its best. Other specialty drink glasses include:
- Large, festive margarita glasses
- Short, elegant martini glasses
- Mug-like Irish coffee glasses
Luckily the answer to which drink to use for specialty glasses is usually conveniently included in the name. If you have a favorite cocktail to make at home, buying a specialty glass can be a fun way to elevate it.
Highball and Lowball Glasses
Both very versatile options, a highball glass is a tall tumbler and a lowball glass in a short tumbler with a sturdy base. These can be used for a variety of cocktails and are often one of the most common glasses you will see for mixed drinks at a bar. Lowball glasses are also used to drink various alcohols on the rocks, meaning the spirit is poured directly over ice to drink.
Beer Glasses
While not a cocktail, serving beer can be a lot more fun if you have a good glass to pour it into. Beer glasses can often be chilled in the freezer before pouring the drink in to help keep it icy cold for longer. For craft beers, there can be a long list of unique glass options meant to elevate the flavor depending on the variety of beer. These include IPA glasses, weizen glasses, beer chalices, and more. If you are looking for something a bit more fun and festive, you can consider choices such as a beer boot to entertain guests.
Wine Glasses
Wine glasses can seem like a no-brainer at first, but did you know that there can be different styles of glass that are more appropriate for certain wines? This is mainly due to how wines are traditionally served. Red wines, often served without being chilled, are best suited for large glasses with a wide mouth. Large glasses also let you enjoy the full flavor profile of red wine, especially if it’s a variety with higher tannic acidity such as the Mill Keeper Cabernet Sauvignon.
Flutes
Tall, narrow glasses, often referred to as flutes, are mainly used for sparkling beverages. The design of these glasses minimizes the exposed surface area of the drink, keeping the bubbles from escaping too quickly.
Choosing Your Favorite Glass
The guidelines above are similar to those often followed by professional bartenders, but ultimately, it is up to you which glass you serve your drinks in. Very few people will want to invest in every type of glass out there, and it can be best to pick a few favorites and get some versatile options, such as highball and lowball glasses, that can be used for many different kinds of drinks.
If mixing drinks becomes a hobby, specialty glasses can be a fun and easy present to ask for on birthdays or holidays. The ultimate goal is to have fun with it and work towards results you are happy with.