Cocktail glass
Glass is an important part of the presentation of a cocktail. In addition to the appearance, the shape of the glass affects how quickly and intensely the cocktail's aroma hits the nose. Larger drinks that are served with ice and topped off naturally require larger glasses, but tradition also comes into play. Serving a martini in anything other than a martini glass just feels wrong.A rule of thumb for drinks is that you usually pour up to a finger's width from the edge of the glass. This is to ensure that the guest can drink the cocktail without spilling the contents all over.
The temperature of glass is also important. If possible, refrigerate your glasses before serving. In addition to keeping the cocktail cold longer than a glass at room temperature, the cold glass provides a tactile sensation between the fingers, a frozen patina, and a pleasant sensation when one's lips touch the cold glass.
Highball
Highball glass is the largest glass that is most often used for long drinks or cocktails in general, where you fill up with juice or soft drink at the end. A good example here is the Long Island Iced Tea, which is topped off with cola at the end. The size of a highball glass is usually 24 to 35 cl.
Hurricane
A Blue Hawaii in a hurricane glass.
A hurricane glass that has a very distinctive shape is typically used for tropical cocktails such as Blue Hawaii and Pina Colada. The glass can typically contain a little more than a highball glass.
Martini
A Cosmopolitan served in a martini glass.
The classic martini glass is V-shaped and is used for the slightly finer cocktails that are served "straight up" (without ice). The picture on the left shows a Cosmopolitan, but the martini glass is also used for cocktails such as Dry Martini and Sidecar. These are typically cocktails that are either stirred or shaken. You can advantageously store the glasses in the fridge before serving, so that the glass does not heat up the cocktail.
Glass of this type can normally hold around 16 cl of liquid. The advantage of a martini glass, and other stemmed glasses, is that it is possible to hold the glass without affecting the temperature of the cocktail.
Glass of this type can normally hold around 16 cl of liquid. The advantage of a martini glass, and other stemmed glasses, is that it is possible to hold the glass without affecting the temperature of the cocktail.
Rocks/Lowball
A Whiskey Sour served in a rocks glass.
The rocks glass is used for serving whiskey, rum, tequila and other spirits, which are served "on-the-rocks", and in some cases without ice. Short drinks, such as Whiskey Sour or White Russian, are also drinks that you would serve in this glass. The size of a rocks glass is usually 18 to 30 cl.