Essential Cocktail Glassware To Serve Drinks At Your House Party
Interested in hosting a house party that your guests will rave about? Did you know that serving the drinks in their rightful cocktail glasses makes all the difference? It not only adds to the visual appeal but also enhances the flavours. Well, worry not! To help you ace the hosting game, we have compiled an elaborate list of all the essential cocktail glassware that you need to have in your home bar. Martinis or Margaritas, whisky cocktails or Mai Tais, we have all the information on the cocktail glasses that you need to know.
Cocktail Glasses Guide Everyone Should Know
1. Rocks or Old-Fashioned Glass
These cocktail glasses are short in shape, have a wide rim and are quite sturdy. If you want a glass for the drinks served neat or on the rocks, these are must-haves! These are also known as whisky glasses and lowball glasses. The thick base of these glasses is perfect for cocktail recipes that require muddling the ingredients.
Drinks that you can serve in these cocktail glasses are negroni, old-fashioned, whisky on the rocks or neat, etc. Some cocktails like whisky sour and margarita can also be served in a rocks glass.
2. Highball or Collins Glass
These cocktail glasses are taller and have a slender build. Collins Glass is taller and narrower than highball glasses. Both of these are ideal for drinks that are served with large amounts of ice cubes. It’s also the most used cocktail glassware for drinks that are topped off with sparkling water, club soda or tonic water.
Party drinks that you can serve in these cocktail glasses are Gin and Tonic, Tom Collins, Mojito, Dirty Shirley, Whisky Highballs, etc. Alternatively, gin and tonic also go well in a Copa glass.
3. Martini or Cocktail Glass
These are long-stemmed, cone-shaped glasses. It’s used to serve cocktails straight-up. Martini and Cocktail glasses have a similar build, however, cocktail glasses have a rounder shape than conical ones. Both these glassware can be used to serve similar types of cocktails. If your house party drinks are shaken or stirred with ice and are strained into glasses served straight without ice cubes, then Martini or cocktail glasses are the best options.
Drinks that you can serve in this cocktail glassware are Martini, Cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Espresso Martini etc.
4. Margarita
Planning on serving some delectable margaritas at your house party? You must have a Margarita glass in your home bar then! These cocktail glasses are shallow and wide. They have a curved rim which makes them an ideal choice for cocktails that call for salt or sugar-rimmed garnish. It’s also an ideal choice for drinks that are blended with ice or served up.
House party drinks that you can serve in this cocktail glassware are Margaritas, Daiquiri, and more.
5. Champagne Glasses (Flute or Coupe)
Champagne glasses are stemmed glasses that can capture the fizz and bubble of the drink perfectly. There are two types of champagne glasses you can use - Flute glass and Coupe glass. While flute glasses are stemmed and have a very narrow and tall bowl, coupe glass on the other hand is smaller and has a round-shaped bowl.
Drinks that you can serve in this cocktail glassware are French 75, sidecar, Manhattan, Gimlet, etc.
6. Copper Mug
This cocktail glassware is a metal mug, with a firm handle. Since copper is a highly conductive metal, a copper mug is a perfect glassware that can keep the drink cold and refreshing for a while and also helps in enhancing the flavours. As history goes, when the Moscow Mule cocktail recipe was originally crafted in a bar by two men, it was served in a copper mug. To this day, Moscow Mule cocktails are served in a copper mug.
Party drinks that you can serve in this cocktail glass are Moscow Mule, Mexican Mule, Irish Mule, etc
7. Irish Coffee Mug
It’s essentially a glass mug with a handle. Irish coffee mugs are built in such a way that they can withstand hot liquids. So if you are planning on mixing some delicious coffee or chocolate-based drinks, these cocktail glasses are the perfect choice for you.
Drinks that you can serve in this cocktail glass are Irish coffee, hot chocolate, Baileys cocktails, mulled wine, etc.
8. Tiki Glasses/Mugs
These are vibrant and fun ceramic glasses that originated in tiki bars or restaurants that boast tropical themes. These cocktail glasses come in colourful shapes and sizes that depict Polynesian, tropical, nautical, or retro themes. If you are a cocktail enthusiast, these are great collectables to showcase to your house party guests. Some of the popular designs are skulls, pineapples, mermaids, coconut, volcanoes, animal faces, tiki Gods, etc.
Party drinks that you can serve in this cocktail glass are most of the tiki cocktails such as Mai Tai, Zombie, Pina Coladas, etc
9. Julep Cup
It’s very similar to a copper mug, a Julep cup can be made of silver or pewter. Silver Julep cup is a traditional cocktail glass for Mint Juleps. These cocktail glasses are known to keep the drinks frosty and refreshing. These cups are shaped in such a way that you hold them either at the bottom of the cup or the top. This allows the frosting to form on the outside.
Though some places serve Mint Juleps in a highball, Collins or old-fashioned glass, a Julep Cup is still an ideal choice if you want to serve Mint Julep cocktails authentically.
