Welcome to the Cocktail Glass Guide

Here you will find all the various types of glasses cocktails, mixed drinks and shooters are prepared in

Here we describe most of the cocktail glasses you might find in a well-equipped bar. The professional bartender will usually prepare the cocktail in the “right” glass. So a martini will be served in a martini glass and a Bloody Mary in a highball glass.

For the rest of us, well, any glass will do. This is a guide to the glasses that are available for making cocktails. Remember, nothing stops you from making any cocktail in any glass. As with most things in the world of mixology, we recommend that you experiment with various drinks in various glasses.

The bottom line is, you don’t have to have all of these glasses to make masterful cocktails. You will go far with a few highball, lowball, wine and shot glasses. Having a few cocktail glasses and champagne flutes will take you 99% there.

A general rule of thumb is, the stronger the drink, the smaller the glass. But, this is also just a guideline!

You might notice that some other glassware guides have different names for different glasses. For example, some refer to a martini glass as a "cocktail glass" and others refer to a cocktail glass as a "margarita glass".

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TIP: Always handle a glass by its stem (if it has one). This prevents your hand from warming the drink. It also prevents fingermarks on the glass.

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LET'S LOOK AT THE VARIOUS TYPES OF COCKTAIL GLASSES AVAILABLE:

Highball glass (aka Collins glass or Slim Jim)

Typical volume of 350 to 400 ml / 12.3 to 14.1 Oz.

Typical uses: Bloody Mary, Harvey Wallbanger

Lowball glass (short version of the highball)

Typical volume: 250 to 300 ml / 8.8 to 10.6 Oz.

Typical uses: drinks with a high proportion of mixer to alcohol. Often, cocktails with whiskey as the base ingredient are served in lowball glasses.


Wine glass

Typical volume: 250 to 300 ml / 8.8 to 10.6 Oz.

Typical uses: wine, any cocktail




Cocktail glass

Typical volume: 250 ml / 8.8 Oz.


Typical uses: many cocktails are served in cocktail glasses. Daiquiries are usually served in cocktail glasses. Some call this a "Margarita glass".

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Champagne flute

A slim elegant glass

Typical volume: 200 ml / 7.0 Oz.

Typical uses: anything with champagne and bubbles. The tall shape of the glass helps prevent the drink going flat too fast. It also let bubbles rise slower, giving the best visual effect of the bubbles.




Martini glass (aka martini saucer)

Classic and well-know shaped glass.

Typical volume: 250ml / 8.8 Oz.

Typical uses: Martini, of course. Also used for margaritas. Any drink looks good in it. A slight draw back is its small volume content which makes it less suitable for large cocktails with many ingredients. It's very easy to spill your cocktail due to the glass' shape, so be careful - this is not the type of glass you want to take onto the dance floor. Some call this a "cocktail glass".

Shot glass

Typical volume:25 ml or 50 ml / 0.9 to 1.8 Oz.

Typical uses: shooters, designed to be hit back and swallowed in a single gulp.




Champagne saucer

Often seen at weddings, this is not a widely used glass for cocktails. In fact, it is totally unsuitable for champagne and drinks with bubbles as it shape results in the bubbles dissipating quickly and the drink going flat.

Typical volume: 300ml / 10.6 Oz.

Typical uses: not many. It can be used to make smaller versions of “big” cocktails.

Brandy snifter (or goblet or balloon)

Typical volume: 350 ml / 12.3 Oz.

Typical uses: to sip good quality brandy and cognac. The brandy is poured to the widest part of the glass. The large surface area allows the aroma of the contents to rise and be concentrated at the narrow mouth for maximum effect.

Port and sherry glasses

Typical volume: 200ml / 7.0 Oz.

Typical uses: These smaller versions of wine glasses are usually used for drinking fortified wine

Beer glasses and mugs

Typical volume: 400 ml up to 2000 ml / 14.1 up to 70.4 Oz. (and even bigger in Germany)

Typical uses: Beer!

Stein glass

Typical volume: 300 ml / 10 Oz.

Typical uses: For drinking beer and ales. It usually looks very similar to a normal beer mug.

Hurricane glass

Typical volume: 300 ml / 10 Oz.

Typical uses: Often used to serve tropical cocktails in, but it really can be used for any long drink as an alternative to a high ball glass.

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That covers about most of the cocktail glasses available. There are more types of glasses, like toddies, old fashions (similar to a lowball) and rocks, but you should hardly require more that the glasses above.

The amount of guests or clients you usually entertain determines the number you need of each. Have at least one, but preferably two per guest. You will usually require more highballs, lowballs, wine and beer glasses as these are more popular.

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Back to the Bartending Guide from the Cocktail Glass Guide

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