search instagram twitter facebook pinterest chevron-right chevron-left email menu cross
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to menu-404 navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Let's Eat Cake

Let's Eat Cake is the lifestyle site for Millennial women. We’re your source for lifestyle, entertainment, fashion, beauty, jokes, puns, food news, coffee trends, and baking recipes.

  • Starbucks
  • Drink Recipes
  • Holidays
  • Nail Ideas
  • Weddings
  • Recipes
  • Jokes + Puns
  • About Us
  • Newsletter
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Terms
© 2025 Let's Eat Cake
  • Starbucks
  • Drink Recipes
  • Nail Ideas
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St Patrick’s Day
    • Christmas
    • Halloween
    • Holiday Recipes
  • Weddings
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast + Brunch Recipes
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Desserts
    • Snacks
    • TikTok Recipes
  • Jokes + Puns
Home » Drinks

Here Are 15 Types of Cocktail Glasses, Because Pint Cups Don’t Work For Everything

By Katie Schindelheim | February 24, 2022 | Updated on November 16, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links that we collect a share of sales from. Click here for more details.
31 shares
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Collins Glass
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Sour Glass
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Wine Glass
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Snifter Glass
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Glencarin Glass
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Shot Glasses
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Champagne Flutes
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Rocks
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Nick and Nora
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Mule
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Martini
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Highball
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Coupe
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Margarita
Types of Cocktail Glasses - Hurricane

There’s so much more to the world’s most popular cocktails than just the alcohol. You also need the perfect vessel to drink them out of. Different drinks call for different types of cocktail glasses to enhance their unique flavors and qualities. As opposed to red solo cups, which have a subtle taste of regret and sadness.

And despite what the 20+ James Bond movies will have you believe, martini glasses aren’t the only option. There’s a whole world of drinkware to explore and to be used to impress your bartender crush. They’re just so good at listening. 
Types of Cocktail Glasses

 

15 Types of Cocktail Glasses

1. Margarita

A typical Margarita glass features a double bowl with a wide mouth at the top, and then it tapers off to a long, thin stem. The size of the bowl allows for the drinker to enjoy a balance of flavors in every sip along the salt- or sugar-coated rim. Or Tajin, for the spicy gals.

The rumor is that Marie Antoinette had this glass modeled after her breasts. If that’s what her breasts look like, we can only imagine what her bras looked like.

Perfect for:

  • Tommy’s Margarita
  • Daiquiri

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Margarita
Available on Amazon.

 

2. Coupe

Coupe glasses have a shallow and rounded bowl and were originally created for champagne. However, their shape actually causes the bubbles to dissipate, leaving the drink as flat as the open soda you forgot in your car two weeks ago.

Coupe’s are much better suited for cocktails that need to be strained and served without ice. Additionally, the curved edge help to prevent spillage, which is great news for klutzes everywhere.

Perfect for:

  • Manhattan
  • Bees Knees
  • Gimlet

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Coupe
Available on Amazon.

 

3. Highball

We know that a highball glass just looks like your run of the mill tumbler. And, well…you’d be right.

It’s meant to be filled with ice so it keeps the cold of the drink in and the sweat of your palms out. This is the easiest glass to make a mixed drink in, besides just swirling a bunch of juice and liquor in your mouth. Worth trying once, but not recommended in public.

Perfect for:

  • Bloody Mary
  • Screwdriver
  • Dirty Shirley

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Highball
Available on Amazon.

 

4. Martini

When people think of a cocktail glass, most minds go straight to the v-shaped Martini glass. It’s the glass of James Bond and fancy business people who constantly tell you that they’re traveling for work.

The cone shape and long stem make it perfect for strained cocktails. This is referred to as “up” in cocktail speak. In case you were wondering, a “down” cocktail is what happens at the end of the night.

Perfect for:

  • Vesper
  • Cosmopolitans
  • Blood and Sand

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Martini
Available on Amazon.

 

5. Copper Mug

This mug is best known for being the vessel for the popular Moscow Mule. The metal of the copper holds in the cold so efficiently, it’s nearly impossible to carry one of these without the handle. Unless you’re Jon Snow. He’s pretty tough like that.

The copper has been noted to enhance the flavors of the ginger and citrus in a mule. However, these mugs are typically lined on the inside with stainless steel to prevent copper leaching. The FDA really takes the fun out of everything.

Perfect for:

  • Mules
  • Dark n’ Stormy
  • Mint Julep

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Mule
Available on Amazon.

 

6. Nick and Nora

Nick and Nora glasses are named for the famous fictional detective couple from Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man. It’s something of a cross between a Martini glass and a coupe, with a bell shape that’s ideal for drinks served up.

The stem prevents the drink from getting too warm, and the name makes the drinker seem well read. No one has to know your yearly book list is filled with comics!

Perfect for:

  • Bamboo Cocktail
  • Nick and Nora Martini
  • Last Word

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Nick and Nora
Available on Amazon.

 

7. Hurricane

This is another very recognizable cocktail glass, thanks to the delightfully tropical Piña Colada that every vacationer has to order at least once. Until they realize that sugar, cream, and liquor is a truly lethal combination.

The class has a curvy tulip shape, reminiscent of a hurricane lamp, and a short stem that is great for larger quantities of alcohol. The flared lip of the glass brings out fruity aromas and almost demands a garnish of pineapple. Or, if you prefer, Watermelon Hubba Bubba.

Perfect For:

  • Piña Colada
  • Mai Tai
  • Hurricane

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Hurricane
Available on Amazon.

 

8. Rocks

More familiarly called an Old Fashioned glass, the rocks glass is just begging for those artisanal ice shapes. It’s also meant for drinks that have mostly spirits in them. You know, the ones that burn the hair out of your nostrils. Which is only slightly preferred over plucking.

The width of the glass allows for drinks to be mixed directly in them. Because who really wants to do a bunch of dishes after a night of imbibing?

Perfect for:

  • Old Fashioned
  • Sazerac
  • Boulevardier

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Rocks
Available on Amazon.

 

9. Champagne Flute

Champagne flutes are of course used for champagne, and also any cocktail that features champagne. Or Prosecco. Or that store brand “sparkling wine” you buy for your least favorite coworker’s birthday.

A flute’s long and narrow shape is perfect for these drinks because it helps to keep the bubbles bubbling. Hey, it’s hard work sometimes.

Perfect for:

  • Mimosa
  • French 75
  • Bellini

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Champagne Flutes
Available on Amazon.

 

10. Shot

Shot glasses are essential to any proper cocktail mixing. Because what’s a formula without measurements?

These are also the perfect vessel for specialty shots, which are the star of every bachelorette party. We have yet to figure out a shot that prevents hangovers, but we think the secret ingredient might be water.

Perfect for:

  • Blow Job Shot
  • Lemon Drop
  • Scooby Snack

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Shot Glasses
Available on Amazon.

 

11. Glencairn Whiskey Glass

Some people just like to sip their whiskey without any flourishes, and we respect that. The Glencairn is short tulip-shaped glass that channels all the scents of the whiskey into its narrow rim.

It’s also helpful if you’re trying to learn how to swirl whiskey to enhance its aromas…without splashing it all over yourself and enhancing your aromas.

Perfect for:

  • Single Malt Whisky
  • Irish Whiskey
  • Single Barrel Bourbon

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Glencarin Glass
Available on Amazon.

 

12. Snifter

The snifter is often compared to (and confused with) the Glencairn. But its shape differs dramatically. Not quite as dramatic as season two of Euphoria, but that’s definitely for the best.

This cocktail glass has a bulbous bowl that leads to a slightly more narrow top. The wider base allows you to hold it and warm the liquor inside, before the liquor warms your insides.

Perfect for:

  • Brandy
  • Cognac

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Snifter Glass
Available on Amazon.

 

13. Wine

Wine glasses come in two basic shapes: white and red. There are slight variations within those categories, but the general shape is the same.

White wine glasses have a smaller bowl, and red wine glasses have a longer stem. The wider bowl of a red glass allows the wine to aerate. Which is a fact you can throw out at your next dinner party if you want people to think you’ve been drinking more than Franzia.

Perfect for:

  • Wine
  • Aperol Spritz
  • Sangria

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Wine Glass
Available on Amazon.

 

14. Sour Glass

Sour glasses kind of look like miniature white wine glasses, but are used for cocktails made with liquor. Some versions of the glass have a lip that curves outwards to help enjoy the smoothness of the drink.

Sour glasses are specifically for sours, which is the third rule of Fight Club. Shoot, we don’t think we were supposed to share that.

Perfect for:

  • Whiskey Sour
  • Aperol Sour
  • Sidecar

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Sour Glass
Available on Amazon.

 

15. Collins

A close cousin to the highball, the Collins glass is much narrower and slightly taller, allowing for a bit more liquid. The shape also allows for more ice to keep the drinks cool.

It’s named after the famous gin drink, the Tom Collins. We’re currently waiting for the Hanks, which is shaped like a volleyball.

Perfect for:

  • Mojito
  • Ramos Gin Fizz
  • Paloma

Types of Cocktail Glasses - Collins Glass
Available on Amazon.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Katie Schindelheim
Katie Schindelheim
Katie Schindelheim is a contributing writer for Let's Eat Cake, where she covers nail designs, seasonal trends and topics, food news (mostly sweet, but sometimes savory), fancy cocktails, and everything else you need to know about the best alcohol out there. She is also an actress, writer, and stand-up comedian who's appeared onstage at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Caroline's on Broadway in New York, and many other venues. 

Katie is a fierce competitor when it comes to trivia and can often be found at bar trivia/pub quiz nights around L.A. She hates losing. Just ask her ex-teammates and ex-friends.

Follow Katie on Instagram and Twitter.
Katie Schindelheim
Latest posts by Katie Schindelheim (see all)
  • Wear These Valentine’s Day Costumes To Any February 14 Gathering - February 8, 2024
  • Disney’s Halloween Treats For 2023 Will Have You Drooling - August 28, 2023
  • These New Year’s Drinks Are The Best Way to Cheers In 2023 - December 26, 2022
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon and other sites that we collect a share of sales from.
31 shares

Read This Next

9 Cheap Vodkas That Won’t Give You Frat Party Flashbacks

9 Cheap Vodkas That Won’t Give You Frat Party Flashbacks

13 Coconut Rum Cocktails to Make Before Summer Ends

13 Coconut Rum Cocktails to Make Before Summer Ends

How to Make a Vesper Martini

How to Make a Vesper Martini

How to Make a Perfect Aviation Cocktail

How to Make a Perfect Aviation Cocktail

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

Trending Now

Footer

  • About Us
  • Press
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Contact
  • News
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
© 2016–2025 Let's Eat Cake
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
31 shares
31 shares