Elevate Your Drinking Experience: A Guide to Premium Glassware

Whether it’s juice, alcohol, or just plain water, there can be no doubt that the experience of drinking it is enhanced by the right glass. High-end restaurants and hotels know it, and so do the movies. Would James Bond have been as cool sipping his martini from a beer stein?

There are plenty of reasons to invest in the right glassware, and it needn’t be expensive. But like all collections, it requires a little knowledge on the consumer’s part to get started.

This is your short guide to the names and functions of some of the most popular types of glasses.

Why invest in nice drinking glasses?

The short answer is yes. Beyond looking nice and feeling good in your hand, quality glasses can actually enhance the flavour and experience of what you drink. 

The shape of a wine glass, for example, is designed to deliver the wine to certain areas of your mouth. Meanwhile, whiskey glasses concentrate the aromas to deliver a better sensory experience while reducing the burning feeling that the drink causes in your throat.

Of course, quality glasses can also impress your guests or customers.

Are they expensive?

Fine glassware is not necessarily expensive. One way to lower the cost that is available today is to buy plastic glasses. 

In the past, good quality crystal glasses offered not only beautiful designs, but durability and freedom from toxic contaminants. However, all of these things can also be achieved by modern, BPA-free plastics.

Of course, plastic glasses will feel a bit different and lack the heft of real glass. However, they are a viable option for many people.

Types of drinking glasses

Drinking glasses are not only designed with specific drinks in mind, but also the experiences that people are looking for. Some want a big drink, and some want a small one. Some want to look fancy while they drink, others are just looking for something casual. 

There are a wide range of glasses available to meet these different needs. But unless you are a cocktail bar owner or a restaurant owner looking to deliver a fine dining experience, there is no reason to know them all. Here are the basics:

• Highball: Also known as a collins glass, these are tall, narrow, cylindrical, and usually inornate. They typically hold between 235 and 475 ml and are used for drinks which can be easily mixed by stirring. 
• Old-fashioned: This is a short, fairly wide glass with a thick base. The exterior glass sometimes has a texture or pattern. They hold around 175 to 235 ml, but you can also buy double ones. 
• Martini:  These are often known today as simply a cocktail glass. They have a stem and a thin base like a wine glass, but they have a wider brim and the top is shaped like an upside-down cone.
• Margarita: These look like a wine glass where the top has been stretched outwards, and they sometimes come with a double-bowl design. These usually hold 175 to 600 ml but some can hold as much as 1775 ml. If you opt for a giant one, remember to drink responsibly or perhaps use it for a non-alcoholic cocktail or punch.   

NOTE: We are not recommending drinking alcohol etc, this article is about drinking glasses and drinking experience and not about any drinking advice.