From elegant martini glasses to your standard pint, glassware comes in a huge variety of styles. Here’s a quick guide to different glassware for those of you looking to spruce up or add to your collection.
The iconic martini glass is an inverted cone shape, which prevents the cocktail ingredients from separating. This shape also keeps the liquid cool and works for the visual effect of the classic Martini cocktail by allowing the olives to sit upright in the glass. Another classic cocktail glass to add to your collection is the champagne saucer. The flat glass has an undeniably vintage appeal and is believed to have originated in the royal French courts, supposedly encouraging the drink's aroma.
The most common glasses you’ll need will be for white wine, red wine and champagne. White wine glasses are smaller than red wine glasses, with a smaller mouth to the glass. This helps to keep the drink cool and preserve the aromas. Red wine glasses are larger, with a rounder bowl and larger mouth. This design helps more oxygen into the wine, allowing fuller flavours to develop thanks to oxidation. Champagne and sparkling wines prefer tall, fluted glasses, which maintain the fizz and provide a lovely stream of bubbles from the bottom of the glass to the top.
Whiskey glasses are low and stout, easily holding ice and perfect for On the Rocks cocktails too. Shot glasses are designed for quickly drinking a small measure of alcohol, with a narrow mouth that helps the liquid go straight to the back of the throat. Brandy glasses, known as snifters, have a wide bowl and a narrow mouth. This is so your hand gently warms the drink while simultaneously containing the aromas of the brandy.
Highball tumblers are ideal for serving soft drinks, as well as a variety of mixed cocktails. Another type of tumbler is a Collins glass. These are tall and cylindrical glasses.
Pilsner pint glasses are tall glasses suitable for lagers and light beers. The narrower glass encourages fizz, and the larger rim allows for a sizeable beer head. The more common, wider pint glass is an icon of British pubs and holds an imperial pint. These replaced the tankards of times gone by, which included a handle for easy lifting.
