The Right Glass For Every Type of Spirit

When having a drink at home, it is easy to reach for the first glass that comes to hand. But the right choice of glassware can add to the occasion, enhance your enjoyment of the drink and help you get the most out of a certain spirit.

So, whether you are pouring yourself a dram of Scotch, sipping a shot of Tequila or creating a homemade cocktail, here are seven must-have glasses for your drinks cabinet.

The Brandy Glass

This glass, which also goes by the name of snifter, is perfect for brandy. That includes Cognac, Armagnac and other grape-based brandies, as well as fruit-based brandies such as Calvados, Applejack, grappa and Kirsch. The iconic shape is believed to have been created in the mid-1600s, when glassblowing first became popular.

The wide tulip shape, with a broad bowl-like base and narrower rim, helps to maximise the aromas of the spirit. The short stem allows you to hold the glass close to your fingers and palm, gently warming the brandy and encouraging it to release more aroma.

It feels superbly decadent to sip and savour from, especially when accompanied by a good cigar.

The Coupe Glass

The coupe is enjoying something of a renaissance in modern cocktail culture. This wide-rimmed, shallow glass with a decently long stem is now a bartender’s go-to for many cocktails, but it was not always that way. Its origins appear to date to the mid-1600s, when English monks developed the shape for drinking wine.

Fast forward and the coupe was adopted by the aristocracy in pre-Revolution France, primarily for sipping Champagne. Later, it became popular during the Prohibition era among speakeasy bartenders creating cocktails such as the Manhattan and Sazerac.

Today, this versatile glass and its smaller, cup-like Nick & Nora sibling are cocktail-maker staples.

The Glencairn Glass

This is the glass that has cornered the whisky market. The Glencairn glass was first produced in 2001 and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In the two and a half decades since, it has captured the imagination of whisky drinkers and now sells more than five million glasses per year. That is a staggering 65,000 glasses a week.

The design is key. It is said to have been doodled on a piece of paper by Raymond Davidson, Glencairn’s founder, in the 1980s, before being filed away. He was frustrated that other drinks had their own glass style while whisky did not. The distinct tulip shape and solid base make the glass ideal for analysing whisky or other spirits.

The Glencairn is used by master blenders, whisky tasters and spirits competitions the world over. A design classic.

The Highball Glass

A tall, elegant glass designed specifically for carbonated drinks, the highball was developed in the late 19th century as the popularity of new products such as soda water and ginger ale took hold. It was also around this time that Coca-Cola was first produced, in 1886. As sales of such drinks grew rapidly, so did the use of the highball glass.

The name is also linked to the highball cocktail, which can be made using any spirit topped up with sparkling or soda water. It is said to derive from the English pub slang term “ball”, meaning a measure of whisky, served “high” in a tall glass with a mixer and ice.

Either way, it remains one of the most versatile and essential pieces of glassware for your cabinet.

The Martini Glass

Mention a Martini and thoughts immediately turn to high-end cocktail bars and James Bond. Shaken or stirred? Vodka or gin? The choice is yours. But one thing remains consistent: the unmistakable, iconic V-shaped glass in which the cocktail is served. This first appeared as an angular Art Deco adaptation of the traditional coupe glass during the 1920s.

The Martini has lost none of its allure and remains one of the world’s best-selling cocktails. The recent expansion into flavoured variations, particularly the Espresso Martini, has broadened the drink’s appeal further.

The iconic glass complements this beautifully. It may not be the most-used glass in your collection, but you will be thankful to own a set when only a Martini will do.

The Shot Glass

These small spirits glasses are thought to have their origins in 17th-century Europe, when people in taverns would drink moonshine or other spirits in one go, then slam the glass down on the bar or table.

The sound was said to resemble that of a musket shot, with the practice becoming known as shooting. The glass, and “shooting”, was later popularised in America’s Wild West. Think of all those old Westerns you have watched.

Shot glasses are traditionally used around the world: in Russia for vodka, Mexico for Tequila, Eastern Europe for fruit brandies and Scandinavia for punsch. More recently, they have been used for short cocktails such as the B-52, and other drinks in popular culture including the Jägerbomb and flaming shots.

Maybe not an everyday glass, but a good one to have when the mood takes.

The Tumbler

This versatile piece of glassware is great for sipping dark spirits such as whisky, Cognac or rum. The wide rim and heavy base make every drink feel a little more luxurious, as though you should take your time and savour it properly.

However, it is not solely for sipping spirits. The tumbler can be used for cocktails too, including classics such as the Negroni and Old Fashioned.

The origins of the glass are thought to stem from round-bottomed drinking vessels such as the quaich, which was used for drinking whisky in Scotland but would tip, or “tumble”, over when set down. This encouraged people to drink everything in one go so none would be spilt.

The shape evolved towards the modern heavy, flat-bottomed glass as glassblowing techniques developed in the mid-1600s.

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