Choose the Proper Glassware
It is never a bad idea to have a modest array of glassware available in your at-home bar. Though it may feel trivial, like garnishing your cocktail, having the proper glassware will go a long way to stepping up your cocktail presentation. But, with so many kinds of glassware to choose from, there are three types in particular that will serve you well: the double rocks, the Collins, and the coupe.
Not only is a nice set of double rocks glasses worth the investment but serve as versatile vessels for a number of different cocktails: ideal for the Old Fashioned and Negroni typically served over a large ice cube; perfect for the Tommy’s Margarita served on the rocks; wonderful for the Mai Tai packed with crushed ice. Aesthetically, double rocks glasses tend to be either simple and sleek in appearance or fairly ornate with a classic cut-crystal look. Ultimately, I try to find the double rocks glass that fits the expression of the cocktail itself.
On the other hand, for cocktails served “tall,” the Collins style glassware is my go-to. Volume capacities can vary glass-to-glass, however, I find the Collins glass provides adequate room for a number of different cocktails: perfect for cocktails topped with soda water such as Paloma and Mojito; optimal for libations with ingredients that take up more volume than your double rocks glass could comfortably accommodate such as Piña Colada. This type of glass tends to be used interchangeably with highball-style glassware, which is shorter, wider, with generally a smaller volume capacity. Aesthetically speaking, the Collins glass styles are akin to those of the double rocks glass; you can find very simple looks, but there are plenty of more visually interesting styles to choose from. Personally, I tend to prefer cleaner designs in this instance.
And what at-home bar would be complete without a set of coupe cocktail glasses? Of all of the types of glassware mentioned, coupe cocktail glasses are the most unique and perfect for cocktails such as the Manhattan, Martini, Gimlet, and Daiquiri (just to name a few). There are many different styles of coupe glassware available and are quite interchangeable; the Nick and Nora cocktail glass can be an ideal substitute for a martini glass, especially if you aren’t a fan of the large format rim. One consideration when selecting your coupe glassware is the capacity of liquid it will accommodate; I find a 5-ounce coupe cocktail glass works perfectly for the aforementioned cocktails. However, there are many cocktails that have more ingredients (or higher volumes of them) that would be more comfortably sipped from a larger vessel.
