Types of glasses for drinks: 35 glasses, what goes in each, and where they go

A home needs four or five: a water tumbler, an all-purpose wine glass, a rocks glass and a highball, plus flutes if you pour sparkling wine often (our advice, reasons below). The full table lists 35 types of glassware for drinks in seven groups, three water and everyday glasses, six wine glasses, three champagne glasses, eleven cocktail glasses, four spirits glasses, five beer glasses and three sherry, port and dessert wine glasses, with what goes in each, sizes in ml and US fl oz, and the look-alikes. This page is about glasses for drinks: not eyeglasses, and not lab glassware.

On this page: The table · Water · Wine · Champagne · Cocktail · Spirits · Beer · Sherry, port, dessert · Look-alikes · Does shape matter? · Names by region · What you need · Where they go · History · FAQ

Glass size is not the pour

A wine glass of 645 to 1012 ml (21.8 to 34.2 US fl oz) is not meant to be filled: Riedel's own guidance is "Maximum 3 to 6 US fl. oz / 100 to 125 ml. Never over-pour the glass."¹ UK law lets bars sell wine by the glass only in 125 ml, 175 ml or multiples (with exceptions), gin, rum, vodka and whisky in 25 ml or 35 ml, and beer or cider in a third, half or two-thirds of a pint or multiples of a half.²⁰ A US standard drink is 12 fl oz of beer, 5 fl oz of wine or 1.5 fl oz of spirits, which the NIAAA says "may not reflect customary serving sizes".²¹ Serving glasses for water, soft drinks, beer and wine sold in German bars carry a fill line and one of a fixed set of volumes (0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.33, 0.5 litre and more).²² How full to pour at the table is in fine dining etiquette.

Water tumbler

Names: Tumbler or water glass; "H2O All Purpose Tumbler" (Riedel); "Allround drinking glass" and "Water glass" (Zwiesel).

What goes in it. Water and soft drinks at the table. Debrett's: "A tumbler for water and two wine glasses, with the larger one for red wine, is usually enough". Zwiesel lists water as the drink for its water glasses and tumblers.^{3, 60}

How to tell it from the water goblet. No stem and no handle: Oxford's tumbler is "a glass for drinking out of, with a flat bottom and no handle or stem". "Tumbler" is also a family name: the IBA asks for a "thin tall Tumbler glass" (Gin Fizz) and a "small tumbler glass" (Ve.N.To).^{12, 45}

Where it sits. Above the tip of the dinner knife, about an inch (2.5 cm), or a little to its right at 45 degrees; it stays all meal.^{53, 56, 57, 58} (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. 240 to 473 ml (8.1 to 16 US fl oz), 5 makers. As listed: Riedel H2O All Purpose Tumbler (Restaurant O): 330 ml (11.2 US fl oz)¹; Zwiesel Pure tumbler: 357 ml (12.1 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Echo allround tumbler: 411 ml (13.9 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Simple allround tumbler: 255 ml (8.6 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Forte water glass, 114 mm tall: 397 ml (13.4 US fl oz)³; Urban Bar 1910 Water Glass: 24 cl (240 ml, 8.1 US fl oz)⁶; Nude Sera tumbler (450 cc): 450 ml (15.2 US fl oz)⁸; Libbey Bar Essentials Tumbler: 16 oz (473 ml)⁵.

Water goblet

Names: Goblet; "Red Wine/Water Goblet" (Spiegelau); "Goblet" (a Libbey catalogue type); US formal-table usage.

What goes in it. Water at a set table, where the etiquette sources call the water glass a goblet: "The water goblet is placed directly above the knives." (Emily Post Institute). Libbey also sells goblets for everyday drinks ("Goblet Beverage Glasses").^{5, 54, 56}

How to tell it from the red wine glass. A bowl on a stem, like a wine glass: Oxford's goblet is "a cup for wine, usually made of glass or metal, with a stem and base but no handle". Neither Oxford nor Cambridge says water goblet, and Spiegelau sells one item as "Red Wine/Water Goblet", so the line between the two is a maker's naming, not a shape rule.^{2, 44, 45}

Where it sits. Above the tip of the dinner knife, about an inch (2.5 cm), or a little to its right at 45 degrees; it stays all meal.^{53, 56, 57, 58} (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. 303 to 488 ml (10.3 to 16.5 US fl oz), 3 makers. As listed: Spiegelau Authentis Red Wine/Water Goblet (16 1/4 oz, 480 ml as printed): 16.25 oz (481 ml)²; Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Goblet type: 10.25 to 16.5 oz across 27 items (303 to 488 ml; brands: Libbey, Reserve by Libbey, Spiegelau, Nachtmann)⁴; Zwiesel Alloro water glass, 186 mm tall: 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel The Moment water glass, 193 mm tall: 345 ml (11.7 US fl oz)³.

Juice glass

Names: "Juice Tumbler" (a Libbey catalogue type).

What goes in it. Juice, by its maker's name: Libbey's Boston set "ranges in size from juice to rocks to cooler".^{4, 5}

How to tell it from the water tumbler. In Libbey's Boston set the juice glass (9.8 oz) is the smallest of three, beside 12.5 oz rocks and 16 oz cooler glasses, but the name does not fix the size: its Everest set has "14 oz tall juice glasses", the largest in the box.⁵

Where it sits. Not placed in the dinner settings we read.

Capacity. One maker we read: Libbey 118 to 290 ml (4 to 9.8 US fl oz). As listed: Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Juice Tumbler type: 4 to 9 oz across 13 items (118 to 266 ml; brands: Libbey, Spiegelau)⁴; Libbey Boston set juice glass: 9.8 oz (290 ml)⁵.

Red wine glass (Bordeaux)

Names: Bordeaux glass; "Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot" (Riedel Vinum); "Bordeaux goblet" (Zwiesel Classico).

What goes in it. Red wine. Debrett's lays two wine glasses, "with the larger one for red wine". Riedel names this bowl for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and Zwiesel's Classico Bordeaux lists Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barolo and Bordeaux first (the makers' pairings).^{1, 3, 60}

How to tell it from the burgundy glass. Tall, and in each maker's line larger than the white: Riedel Vinum 650 ml against its white glasses' 370 to 404. Against the Burgundy glass it is taller in every line we read that prints both heights, and smaller in 7 of the 10 maker lines we compared: Riedel's Vinum Cabernet is 225 mm tall, its Pinot Noir 210 mm and 725 ml.^{1, 2, 3}

Where it sits. Right of the water glass, in the order the wines are poured; at a formal dinner up to five glasses, the smaller ones in front past three.^{54, 55} (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. 645 to 1012 ml (21.8 to 34.2 US fl oz), 4 makers. As listed: Riedel Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot: 650 ml (22 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Veloce Cabernet/Merlot: 829 ml (28 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Superleggero Bordeaux Grand Cru: 953 ml (32.2 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Veritas Bordeaux Grand Cru: 960 ml (32.5 US fl oz)¹; Spiegelau Authentis Bordeaux (22 oz): 650 ml (22 US fl oz)²; Spiegelau Hybrid Bordeaux (23 oz): 680 ml (23 US fl oz)²; Zwiesel Classico Bordeaux goblet: 645 ml (21.8 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Pure Bordeaux: 680 ml (23 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Enoteca Bordeaux: 1012 ml (34.2 US fl oz)³; Nude Bordeaux (25 oz, as its distributor Browne prints it): 740 ml (25 US fl oz)¹⁰.

Burgundy glass

Names: "Pinot Noir" (Riedel Vinum); "Burgundy goblet" (Zwiesel Classico); Riedel's first Sommeliers shape was a burgundy goblet (V&A).

What goes in it. Red wine, by its makers' names: Riedel sells it as Pinot Noir (Pinot/Nebbiolo in its O and Veloce lines), and Zwiesel's Classico Burgundy lists Pinot Noir and Beaujolais (the makers' pairings; the studies are under "Does the shape matter").^{1, 3}

How to tell it from the red wine glass. Shorter than the Bordeaux glass in all six lines that print both heights, and larger in 7 of the 10 maker lines we compared: Riedel Vinum Pinot Noir 725 ml and 210 mm tall against its Cabernet's 650 ml and 225 mm; Spiegelau Authentis Burgundy 750 ml against its Bordeaux 650. Not in the other three: Riedel Veloce (763 against 829 ml), a Spiegelau short-bodied set (625 against 630) and Zwiesel The Moment (819 against 862).^{1, 2, 3}

Where it sits. Right of the water glass, in the order the wines are poured; at a formal dinner up to five glasses, the smaller ones in front past three.^{54, 55} (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. 625 to 1022 ml (21.1 to 34.6 US fl oz), 3 makers. As listed: Riedel Vinum Pinot Noir: 725 ml (24.5 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Veloce Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo: 763 ml (25.8 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Superleggero Burgundy Grand Cru: 1022 ml (34.6 US fl oz)¹; Spiegelau short-bodied Burgundy (21 1/4 oz): 625 ml (21.1 US fl oz)²; Spiegelau Authentis Burgundy (25 1/4 oz): 750 ml (25.4 US fl oz)²; Spiegelau Hybrid Burgundy (28 1/2 oz): 840 ml (28.4 US fl oz)²; Zwiesel Pure Burgundy: 692 ml (23.4 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Classico Burgundy goblet: 814 ml (27.5 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Vervino Burgundy: 955 ml (32.3 US fl oz)³.

White wine glass

Names: "Riesling", "Viognier/Chardonnay" (Riedel Vinum); "White Wine" (Spiegelau, Libbey, Nude).

What goes in it. White wine: in Debrett's pair it is the smaller glass (our reading of "the larger one for red wine"). Urban Bar: "Our premium crystal 1910 wine glass is a perfect size for serving white wine" (the maker's claim).^{6, 60}

How to tell it from the red wine glass. A smaller bowl than the same maker's red: Riedel Vinum 370 to 404 ml against 650 to 725; Glencairn's Jura 340 against 480; Zwiesel Pure 300 to 408 against 540 to 692. Across makers the sizes overlap, and Libbey's stemless "White Wine" (17 oz) is larger than its "Red Wine" (16.75 oz).^{1, 3, 4, 7}

Where it sits. Right of the water glass, in the order the wines are poured; when it is poured first (as with a fish course), it stands furthest out, as our table setting guide says.^{54, 55} (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. 300 to 600 ml (10.1 to 20.3 US fl oz), 6 makers. As listed: Riedel Vinum Viognier/Chardonnay: 370 ml (12.5 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Superleggero Riesling: 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Vinum Riesling/Zinfandel: 404 ml (13.7 US fl oz)¹; Spiegelau Hybrid White Wine (12 3/4 oz): 380 ml (12.9 US fl oz)²; Spiegelau Authentis White Wine (14 1/4 oz): 420 ml (14.2 US fl oz)²; Zwiesel Pure Riesling: 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Pure Sauvignon: 408 ml (13.8 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Vervino Chardonnay: 487 ml (16.5 US fl oz)³; Glencairn Jura White Wine Glass: 340 ml (11.5 US fl oz)⁷; Nude Vinifera White Wine (360 cc): 360 ml (12.2 US fl oz)⁸; Nude Vinifera White Wine (600 cc): 600 ml (20.3 US fl oz)⁸; Libbey Stemless White Wine (item 221): 17 oz (503 ml)⁴.

All-purpose wine glass

Names: Universal or allround wine glass; "All Purpose Wine" (Libbey); "Allround wine glass" (Zwiesel).

What goes in it. Red, white and sparkling in one glass, the makers' idea: Zwiesel's Vervino allround glass lists Champagne, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon among its drinks. In Libbey's catalogue it is the second-largest type, 131 items.^{3, 4}

How to tell it from the iso tasting glass. A middle-sized bowl, between the maker's white and red glasses. The name is a maker's label, not a shape standard; the one standard tasting glass is the ISO glass.^{3, 8}

Where it sits. As a wine glass: right of the water glass, in pouring order (ours, from the rule the settings share). (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. 473 to 685 ml (16 to 23.2 US fl oz), 3 makers. As listed: Zwiesel Vervino allround glass: 685 ml (23.2 US fl oz)³; Nude All Purpose Wine (540 cc): 540 ml (18.3 US fl oz)⁸; Libbey All Purpose Wine, the most common size (19 of 131 items): 16 oz (473 ml)⁴. Libbey's 131 All Purpose Wine items run from 4.6 to 28.5 oz (136 to 843 ml).

Stemless wine glass

Names: Restaurant O (Riedel); Authentis Casual (Spiegelau); "Stemless" (Libbey).

What goes in it. Wine without a stem: Riedel's O line puts its varietal bowls (Cabernet/Merlot, Pinot/Nebbiolo, Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier/Chardonnay) on a flat base.¹

How to tell it from the water tumbler. A wine-glass bowl with no stem: Riedel's O Cabernet/Merlot is 630 ml and 121 mm tall, against its stemmed Vinum Cabernet's 650 ml and 225 mm. The common claim that the hand warms the wine through it: we found no study that tested it.¹

Where it sits. Not named in the settings we read; as a wine glass it would follow the pouring order (ours).

Capacity. 335 to 750 ml (11.3 to 25.4 US fl oz), 3 makers. As listed: Riedel O Viognier/Chardonnay: 335 ml (11.3 US fl oz)¹; Riedel O Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc: 375 ml (12.7 US fl oz)¹; Riedel O Cabernet/Merlot: 630 ml (21.3 US fl oz)¹; Riedel O Pinot/Nebbiolo: 690 ml (23.3 US fl oz)¹; Spiegelau Authentis Casual White Wine (14 1/4 oz): 420 ml (14.2 US fl oz)²; Spiegelau Authentis Casual Red Wine/Water Goblet (16 1/4 oz): 480 ml (16.2 US fl oz)²; Spiegelau Authentis Casual Burgundy (25 1/4 oz): 750 ml (25.4 US fl oz)²; Libbey Stemless Red Wine (item 222): 16.75 oz (495 ml)⁴; Libbey Stemless White Wine (item 221): 17 oz (503 ml)⁴.

ISO tasting glass

Names: ISO wine-tasting glass (ISO 3591); the INAO glass in the studies we read.

What goes in it. Every wine, for tasting: the standard "specifies the characteristics of a wine-tasting glass to be used for the sensory analysis of wines", one glass for red, white and the rest.¹⁸

How to tell it from the white wine glass. A cup shaped as an "elongated egg" on a stem and base, the opening narrower than the widest part "so as to concentrate the bouquet". Clear, colourless and plain, per the standard.¹⁸

Where it sits. Tasting rooms and labs; not laid in the settings we read.

Capacity. No maker's spec for an ISO glass in what we read, so no figure here: the standard gives its dimensions in a figure we could not read.

Champagne flute

Names: Flute; "Champagne Flute" (Riedel, Spiegelau); "Flute Cocktail" (a Libbey catalogue type); German Sektflöte, Italian flûte.

What goes in it. Champagne and other sparkling wine: Cambridge's flute is "used for drinking sparkling wine". IBA: "flute glass" for the Bellini and the Mimosa, "Champagne flute" for the French 75.^{12, 44}

How to tell it from the coupe. Tall and narrow on a long stem. Capacity overlaps with the coupe; height and width do not: Riedel's Grape flute is 250 ml and 241 mm tall, its coupe 320 ml and 170 mm.^{1, 44}

Where it sits. For an opening toast, furthest right of the glasses.^{54, 59} (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. 133 to 348 ml (4.5 to 11.8 US fl oz), 5 makers. As listed: Riedel Wine Friendly Champagne Flute: 212 ml (7.2 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Grape Champagne Flute: 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz)¹; Spiegelau Authentis Champagne Flute (9 1/4 oz): 270 ml (9.1 US fl oz)²; Spiegelau Hybrid Champagne Flute (9 1/2 oz): 280 ml (9.5 US fl oz)²; Zwiesel Fortissimo: 240 ml (8.1 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Bar Premium No.1: 253 ml (8.6 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Pure: 297 ml (10 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Vervino flute: 348 ml (11.8 US fl oz)³; Urban Bar Bacci Champagne Flute: 19 cl (190 ml, 6.4 US fl oz)⁶; Urban Bar 1910 Champagne Flute: 32 cl (320 ml, 10.8 US fl oz)⁶; Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Flute Cocktail type: 4.5 to 10 oz across 39 items (133 to 296 ml; brands: Libbey, Reserve by Libbey, Spiegelau)⁴. Libbey's catalogue also lists a 1.79 oz (53 ml) flute. Difford's measured Urban Bar's Castello flute at 220 ml to the brim and 205 mm tall.¹¹

Coupe

Names: Champagne coupe, or champagne saucer (Snopes); "Champagne Glass Coupe" (Urban Bar); "Coupe/Cocktail" (Riedel); coupette, a small coupe (Urban Bar).

What goes in it. Two jobs. Champagne: Urban Bar sells it as "Perfect for cocktails or champagne and sparkling wines". Cocktails: the IBA names a "coupe glass" once, for Remember the Maine (its 39 "cocktail glass" specs name no shape), while Difford's serves the Daiquiri, Cosmopolitan and Manhattan in a coupe.^{6, 12, 13}

How to tell it from the champagne flute. A wide, shallow bowl on a stem (Cambridge: a glass "used especially for some alcoholic drinks", with a wide, shallow bowl). Lower than a flute or a martini glass from the same maker: Riedel's Grape coupe is 170 mm tall, its martini 185 mm, its flute 241 mm.^{1, 44}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 133 to 320 ml (4.5 to 10.8 US fl oz), 6 makers. As listed: Riedel Veritas Coupe/Cocktail: 310 ml (10.5 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Grape Coupe/Cocktail: 320 ml (10.8 US fl oz)¹; Zwiesel Echo cocktail coupe: 277 ml (9.4 US fl oz)³; Urban Bar 1910 Coley coupe: 17 cl (170 ml, 5.7 US fl oz)⁶; Urban Bar 1920 Champagne Glass Coupe: 21 cl (210 ml, 7.1 US fl oz)⁶; Urban Bar 1920 Fizzio coupe: 26 cl (260 ml, 8.8 US fl oz)⁶; Cocktail Kingdom Leopold coupe, 6 oz: 180 ml (6.1 US fl oz)⁹; Cocktail Kingdom Leopold coupe, 7.5 oz: 225 ml (7.6 US fl oz)⁹; Nude Splash Champagne Coupe: 24.5 cl (245 ml, 8.3 US fl oz)⁸; Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Coupe Cocktail type: 4.5 to 10.5 oz across 19 items (133 to 310 ml; brands: Libbey, Reserve by Libbey, Spiegelau, Nachtmann)⁴. Libbey also lists a 14 oz coupe (Symbio, 414 ml).

Tulip champagne glass

Names: "Champagne Wine Glass" (Riedel); champagne glass of Zwiesel's "Tulip" range; tulip is our grouping.

What goes in it. Champagne in a wider glass. Riedel sells it as a "Champagne Wine Glass", and Maximilian Riedel says he wants the flute "obsolete within my lifetime" (a maker's view, no study cited); Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, of the Champagne house, says Champagne "must always be drunk in a flute".^{1, 40}

How to tell it from the champagne flute. Wider and larger than a flute: Riedel's are 327 to 464 ml and 235 to 260 mm tall, against its flutes' 212 to 250 ml. Zwiesel calls flutes and tulips alike "Champagne glass".^{1, 3}

Where it sits. Not named in the settings we read.

Capacity. Two makers: Riedel 327 to 464 ml (11.1 to 15.7 US fl oz); Zwiesel 283 ml (9.6 US fl oz). As listed: Riedel Veloce Champagne Wine Glass: 327 ml (11.1 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Veritas Champagne Wine Glass: 459 ml (15.5 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Superleggero Champagne Wine Glass: 464 ml (15.7 US fl oz)¹; Zwiesel Tulip range champagne glass: 283 ml (9.6 US fl oz)³.

Flute, coupe or white wine glass for New Year's Eve?

For a toast, a flute keeps the fizz in the glass longest; for looks, a coupe; for tasting, Riedel and some sommeliers now say a white wine or tulip glass. What each rests on:

• The flute: with one Champagne, dissolved CO2 fell faster in a coupe than in a flute over the first 10 minutes, "the first analytical proof that the flute prolongs the drink's chill and helps it to retain its effervescence", and a later study measured two to three times more gas near the rim of a flute.^{23, 24} Not tested: whether anyone tastes the difference.
• The tulip or white wine glass: Maximilian Riedel, as the drinks business relays a Telegraph feature, wants the flute "obsolete within my lifetime" and says narrow flutes "inhibit aromas and mute flavour"; its report on a London restaurant that has served no flutes from the day it opened is headed "No flutes in the building". Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger told The Times in 2024 that Champagne "must always be drunk in a flute". None of them cites a study.⁴⁰
• The coupe: the 19th-century champagne glass in the V&A's dating (cup-shaped champagne glasses from about 1830, standard by the 1860s, while the flute goes back to the 1700s), and the one that doubles as a cocktail glass.^{6, 71, 72} The Marie Antoinette story is a myth: see the history.

How many: Select Hire plans one flute a guest for a toast and 1.5 as a welcome drink.⁶⁶ Our advice: if you own one set, white wine glasses pour Champagne well enough for a party, and flutes are worth buying only if you open sparkling wine often.

Martini glass

Names: V-shaped cocktail glass; "Martini/Cocktail" (Riedel); "Martini Cocktail" (a Libbey catalogue type).

What goes in it. IBA: "martini cocktail glass" for four specs, the Dry Martini, Stinger, Tipperary and Tuxedo. The IBA's plain "cocktail glass" (39 specs) names no shape, so we do not count those as martini glasses.¹²

How to tell it from the coupe. A cone on a stem: Urban Bar calls its martini "classic V-shaped". Capacity does not separate it from a coupe (Urban Bar sells both at 21 cl); the shape does, and Riedel's martini stands taller than its coupe (185 against 170 mm).^{1, 6}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 148 to 355 ml (5 to 12 US fl oz), 4 makers. As listed: Riedel Grape Martini/Cocktail: 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz)¹; Zwiesel Bar Special martini: 272 ml (9.2 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Enoteca martini: 293 ml (9.9 US fl oz)³; Urban Bar 1920 Martini: 21 cl (210 ml, 7.1 US fl oz)⁶; Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Martini Cocktail type: 5 to 12 oz across 28 items (148 to 355 ml; brands: Libbey, Reserve by Libbey, Spiegelau)⁴. Libbey also lists a 3 oz (89 ml) and a 13.5 oz (399 ml) martini. Difford's measured Urban Bar's Verdot martini at 255 ml to the brim and 183 mm tall.¹¹

Nick & Nora glass

Names: Nick and Nora; a revived 1930s "Little Martini" (VinePair).

What goes in it. Cocktails, as a smaller stand-in for the martini glass: Urban Bar sells it as "a narrower alternative to a wide martini glass". No IBA spec names it.^{6, 12}

How to tell it from the martini glass. The smallest of the stemmed cocktail glasses in the makers we read, with taller walls: Urban Bar, "Tall walls offer spill-proof alternative to the classic martini glass".⁶

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 140 to 198 ml (4.7 to 6.7 US fl oz), 3 makers. As listed: Riedel Drink Specific Nick & Nora: 140 ml (4.7 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Drink Specific Nick & Nora Large: 198 ml (6.7 US fl oz)¹; Cocktail Kingdom Nick and Nora, 5 oz: 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz)⁹; Urban Bar 1910 Nick & Nora: 17 cl (170 ml, 5.7 US fl oz)⁶.

Highball glass

Names: Highball; "Hi-Ball" (Libbey, Browne); "Longdrink" (Riedel, Zwiesel).

What goes in it. IBA: "highball" for 11 specs, among them the Cuba Libre, Paloma, Tequila Sunrise, Horse's Neck and the John Collins. Libbey's set copy: "best suited for your favorite beer, fizzy pops, lemonade and simple cocktails".^{5, 12}

How to tell it from the collins glass. Tall, narrow and stemless. Makers use highball and Collins for the same 300 to 370 ml glasses (in Difford's database the Urban Bar Koto highball is titled a "Highball Collins"; Urban Bar's own page says highball); only Difford's splits them by size, a "small (10oz max) highball" against "larger 12oz Collins glasses".^{6, 11, 13}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 200 to 480 ml (6.8 to 16.2 US fl oz), 7 makers. As listed: Riedel Drink Specific Highball: 310 ml (10.5 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Bar Rituals Highball: 321 ml (10.9 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Restaurant O Highball: 350 ml (11.8 US fl oz)¹; Zwiesel Simple longdrink glass: 370 ml (12.5 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Echo highball: 480 ml (16.2 US fl oz)³; Glencairn Jura Highball: 320 ml (10.8 US fl oz)⁷; Glencairn Skye Highball: 350 ml (11.8 US fl oz)⁷; Urban Bar Castello Highball: 30 cl (300 ml, 10.1 US fl oz)⁶; Urban Bar 1910 Highball Tumbler: 35 cl (350 ml, 11.8 US fl oz)⁶; Urban Bar Rondo Highball: 37 cl (370 ml, 12.5 US fl oz)⁶; Cocktail Kingdom Koishi Highball, 10 oz: 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz)⁹; Cocktail Kingdom Hard Strong Tapered Highball, 12.5 oz: 370 ml (12.5 US fl oz)⁹; Nude Wayne highball (250 cc): 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz)⁸; Nude Caldera highball (450 cc): 450 ml (15.2 US fl oz)⁸; Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Hi-Ball Tumbler type: 6.75 to 15 oz across 97 items (200 to 444 ml; brands: Libbey, Reserve by Libbey, Spiegelau, Nachtmann)⁴. Most sit at 300 to 370 ml (10 to 12.5 US fl oz); Libbey's most common highball is 12 oz (28 of 97 items).

Collins glass

Names: Collins; named after the drink, the Tom (originally John) Collins.

What goes in it. The IBA names a "Collins glass" once, for the Suffering Bastard; its John Collins goes in a "highball". Difford's serves the Tom Collins, the Mojito and the Bloody Mary in a Collins glass.^{12, 13}

How to tell it from the highball glass. A highball by another name in the makers' lists: Cocktail Kingdom sells Collins glasses at 10 oz and 12 oz, and Zwiesel lists "Collins" among the drinks for its highball and longdrink glasses. Difford's alone draws a size line (Collins 12 oz, highball 10 oz at most).^{3, 9, 13}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. One maker we read: Cocktail Kingdom 300 to 360 ml (10.1 to 12.2 US fl oz). As listed: Cocktail Kingdom Hard Strong Collins, 10 oz: 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz)⁹; Cocktail Kingdom Hard Strong Collins, 12 oz: 360 ml (12.2 US fl oz)⁹; Cocktail Kingdom Buswell Collins, 12 oz: 360 ml (12.2 US fl oz)⁹. Cocktail Kingdom is the one maker we read that sells a glass under its own title Collins. Difford's database also titles a Libbey 12.5 oz (370 ml) and an Urban Bar 35 cl glass Collins, though both makers list theirs as a highball (Libbey: Hi-Ball Tumbler). Difford's measured the Libbey Heavy Base glass it titles a Collins at 385 ml to the brim and 143 mm tall.¹¹

Rocks glass (old fashioned)

Names: Old fashioned glass, lowball, whisky tumbler; "Rocks Glass" and "Single Old Fashioned" (Riedel, in two lines); "Lowball" (Nude); "Rock Tumbler" and "Whisky Tumbler" (Glencairn); "Dof/Rocks Tumbler" (a Libbey catalogue type).

What goes in it. IBA: "old fashioned glass" for 9 specs (the Old Fashioned, Negroni, Americano, Sazerac among them) and "rocks glass" for 7 (the Bloody Mary, Tommy's Margarita and Jungle Bird among them). Spirits too: Libbey sells "9 oz small rocks glasses for cocktails and spirits".^{5, 12}

How to tell it from the double old fashioned. Short, wide and stemless. One shape, several names: Riedel prints "Rocks Glass" in one line and "Single Old Fashioned" in another, Nude says "Lowball", Glencairn titles the same tumbler "Rock Tumbler" and "Whisky Tumbler", and Libbey files rocks and double old fashioned as one type.^{1, 4, 7, 8}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 148 to 444 ml (5 to 15 US fl oz), 7 makers. As listed: Riedel Tumbler Collection Single Old Fashioned: 245 ml (8.3 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Drink Specific Rocks Glass: 283 ml (9.6 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Restaurant O Single Old Fashioned: 290 ml (9.8 US fl oz)¹; Glencairn Edinburgh whisky tumbler: 280 ml (9.5 US fl oz)⁷; Glencairn Jura whisky tumbler: 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz)⁷; Zwiesel Echo whisky glass small: 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Simple whisky glass: 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz)³; Urban Bar Qubo Fashioned Whisky Tumbler: 23 cl (230 ml, 7.8 US fl oz)⁶; Urban Bar 1890 Old Fashioned Tumbler: 30 cl (300 ml, 10.1 US fl oz)⁶; Nude Splash Lowball: 36 cl (360 ml, 12.2 US fl oz)⁸; Cocktail Kingdom Yarai Nesting Rocks, 6 oz: 180 ml (6.1 US fl oz)⁹; Cocktail Kingdom Yarai Rocks, 7.5 oz: 225 ml (7.6 US fl oz)⁹; Cocktail Kingdom Hard Strong Rocks, 12 oz: 355 ml (12 US fl oz)⁹; Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Dof/Rocks Tumbler type (single and double together): 5 to 15 oz across 143 items (148 to 444 ml; brands: Libbey, Reserve by Libbey, Spiegelau, Nachtmann)⁴. Libbey's most common rocks sizes are 12 oz (32 items) and 10 oz (22), of the type's 146. Libbey also lists Dof/Rocks items of 4, 4.5 and 4.75 oz (118 to 140 ml).

Double old fashioned (double rocks)

Names: DOF; double rocks; the "bucket" glass (Wondrich).

What goes in it. IBA: "double old fashioned glass" for the Caipirinha and the Fernandito, "double rocks glass" (or a highball) for the Mai Tai. Wondrich: the bucket glass is used today for "straight spirits, spirits on ice and rocks, and drinks such as Old-Fashioneds, Caipirinhas, and Margaritas".^{12, 81}

How to tell it from the rocks glass. "Double" is a name, not a size: Cocktail Kingdom sells a 10 oz (295 ml) Double Rocks and a 12 oz (355 ml) plain Rocks; Riedel's Double Rocks is 370 ml against its Rocks at 283.^{1, 9}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 295 to 450 ml (10 to 15.2 US fl oz), 3 makers. As listed: Riedel Tumbler Collection Whisky/DOF: 295 ml (10 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Bar Rituals Double Rocks: 350 ml (11.8 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Drink Specific Double Rocks Glass: 370 ml (12.5 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Restaurant O Double Old Fashioned: 370 ml (12.5 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Resort (Tritan) Double Rocks: 411 ml (13.9 US fl oz)¹; Cocktail Kingdom Yarai Nesting Double Rocks, 10 oz: 295 ml (10 US fl oz)⁹; Cocktail Kingdom Danuta Double Rocks, 15 oz: 450 ml (15.2 US fl oz)⁹; Libbey Bar Essentials Double Old Fashioned: 12 oz (355 ml)⁵.

Margarita glass

Names: "Margarita Cocktail" (a Libbey catalogue type).

What goes in it. The Margarita, by name. The IBA's own Margarita spec says "Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass." and Difford's picks an old-fashioned glass, so the margarita glass is a convention, not a rule.^{4, 12, 13}

How to tell it from the coupe. Only Libbey sells one under that name in what we read, from 9 to 17.5 oz, plus a 27.25 oz and a 56 oz novelty, so we cannot describe its shape from a spec.⁴

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. One maker we read: Libbey 266 to 517 ml (9 to 17.5 US fl oz). As listed: Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Margarita Cocktail type: 9 to 17.5 oz across 12 items (266 to 517 ml; all Libbey brand)⁴. Libbey also lists a 27.25 oz Grande and a 56 oz Super Stem (806 and 1,656 ml).

Hurricane glass

Names: "Hurricane Cocktail" (a Libbey catalogue type).

What goes in it. IBA: "Strain into Hurricane glass." for the Singapore Sling.¹²

How to tell it from the zombie glass. Wondrich: "a huge glass modeled on the hurricane-lamp chimney glass". Only Libbey sells one in what we read, 10.5 to 16 oz.^{4, 81}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. One maker we read: Libbey 310 to 473 ml (10.5 to 16 US fl oz). As listed: Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Hurricane Cocktail type: 10.5 to 16 oz across 5 items (310 to 473 ml; all Libbey brand)⁴.

Sour glass

Names: "Sour Glass" and "Sour Optic" (Riedel).

What goes in it. Sours, by its maker's name. The IBA's Whiskey Sour names a "cobbler glass", or an old fashioned glass when served on the rocks.^{1, 12}

How to tell it from the nick & nora glass. One maker in what we read: Riedel's is 217 ml and 158 mm tall, between its Nick & Nora (140 ml) and its coupes (310 to 320 ml).¹

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. One maker we read: Riedel 215 to 217 ml (7.3 to 7.3 US fl oz). As listed: Riedel Drink Specific Sour Optic: 215 ml (7.3 US fl oz)¹; Riedel Drink Specific Sour Glass: 217 ml (7.3 US fl oz)¹.

Zombie glass

Names: Zombie glass (Cocktail Kingdom's Mustipher).

What goes in it. The Zombie, by name. The IBA's Zombie says "Serve in a tall tumbler glass.", and Zwiesel lists Zombie among the drinks for its highball and longdrink glasses.^{3, 12}

How to tell it from the highball glass. Larger than a typical highball: Cocktail Kingdom's is 16 oz (450 ml), above the 300 to 370 ml most highballs list.⁹

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. One maker we read: Cocktail Kingdom 450 ml (15.2 US fl oz). As listed: Cocktail Kingdom Mustipher Zombie, 16 oz: 450 ml (15.2 US fl oz)⁹. Difford's measured a Beachbum Berry zombie glass at 430 ml to the brim and 175 mm tall.¹¹

Gin and tonic (balloon) glass

Names: Gin balloon or gin goblet; "Gin Balloon Glass" (Urban Bar); "Gin Tonic Glass" (Nude); "Gin Goblet" (Glencairn); Zwiesel's Echo glass for gin and tonic, filed as "Cocktail glass".

What goes in it. Gin and tonic and spritzes, by the makers' lists: Zwiesel's Echo is for gin, cocktails, sangria, Aperol and gin and tonic. Gin and tonic is not an IBA cocktail; the IBA's Spritz goes in "a wine glass filled with ice".^{3, 12}

How to tell it from the burgundy glass. A big bowl on a stem, larger than most white wine glasses: 550 to 650 ml in the makers we read. Zwiesel files it as a "Cocktail glass".^{3, 6, 7, 8}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 550 to 650 ml (18.6 to 22 US fl oz), 4 makers. As listed: Zwiesel Echo gin and tonic glass: 630 ml (21.3 US fl oz)³; Nude Vintage Gin Tonic Glass (585 cc): 585 ml (19.8 US fl oz)⁸; Glencairn Gin Goblet: 550 ml (18.6 US fl oz)⁷; Glencairn Jura Gin Goblet: 650 ml (22 US fl oz)⁷; Urban Bar Gin Balloon Glass: 60 cl (600 ml, 20.3 US fl oz)⁶.

Which glass the IBA names, across all 102 official cocktails

The glass each recipe names first, in the IBA's own words (a recipe that offers an alternative is counted under its first glass). The count is ours, from the method texts read on 6 November 2026.¹²

Not named in any of the 102: a snifter, a Nick & Nora, a Glencairn, a pint, a margarita glass or a champagne saucer, and the coupe only once.¹² 5 recipes name no glass type at all.

IBA vs Difford's: the same drink, a different glass

Difford's Guide, a widely used cocktail reference, and the Cognac interprofession pick differently from the IBA for these drinks. Neither is wrong: the glass is a convention.

Hot drinks in glass

The IBA's Irish Coffee is poured "into a preheated Irish coffee glass"; Difford's calls the same stemmed heatproof glass a toddy glass, and serves the Hot Toddy in "heat proof toddy glasses or mugs".^{12, 14} We found no maker's spec for either in what we read, so neither has a row. In Germany coffee drinks, Irish coffee included, are exempt from the fill-line rule for serving glasses.²²

Shot glass

Names: Shot or shooter ("Shot/Shooter Cocktail", a Libbey catalogue type); schnapps glass (Zwiesel's bar set).

What goes in it. A measure of spirit. The NIAAA's US standard drink is "A 1.5-ounce shot glass of distilled spirits at 40% alcohol by volume"; UK bars sell gin, rum, vodka and whisky in 25 ml or 35 ml measures. Both set the pour, not the glass.^{20, 21}

How to tell it from the cordial (liqueur) glass. The smallest glass: Libbey's most common shot sizes are 2 oz (59 ml) and 1.5 oz (44 ml); Glencairn's is 50 ml, Urban Bar's 5 to 6 cl.^{4, 6, 7}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 26 to 94 ml (0.9 to 3.2 US fl oz), 4 makers. As listed: Zwiesel Simple shot glass: 46 ml (1.6 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Age shot glass: 60 ml (2 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Pure shot glass: 94 ml (3.2 US fl oz)³; Glencairn Iona Shot Glass: 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz)⁷; Urban Bar Classic Shot Glass: 5 cl (50 ml, 1.7 US fl oz)⁶; Urban Bar 1910 Shot Glass: 6 cl (60 ml, 2 US fl oz)⁶; Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Shot/Shooter Cocktail type: 0.875 to 2.5 oz across 29 items (26 to 74 ml; all Libbey brand)⁴. Libbey also lists shot and shooter glasses of 0.75, 3, 3.7 and 5.375 oz (22 to 159 ml).

Glencairn glass

Names: The Glencairn Glass (a maker's product name; "The Official Whisky Glass" is the maker's own phrase).

What goes in it. Whisky, for nosing. Glencairn says its founder "envisaged a glass similar to a traditional sherry nosing glass (or Copita)", and that drinkers use it for other spirits "such as vodka and sherry".^{41, 42}

How to tell it from the copita. Short and small; the maker's claim: "The tapering mouth of the glass captures and focuses the aroma on the nose." By the maker's figures it is 115 mm tall and 66 mm wide, against its copita at 150 by 60 mm and its Skye snifter at 120 by 85 mm.^{7, 41}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. One maker we read: Glencairn 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz). As listed: Glencairn The Glencairn Glass, 115 x 66 mm: 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz)⁷.

Snifter (brandy glass)

Names: Brandy glass or balloon; "Snifter Glass" (Glencairn's Skye Brandy); "Brandy Cocktail" (a Libbey catalogue type). In British English a snifter is also a small drink (Cambridge, Oxford).

What goes in it. Brandy: Cambridge's US sense is a glass "used for drinking brandy". The Cognac interprofession prefers another shape: "Tulip glasses are widely regarded as the ideal choice to enjoy Cognac". Cicerone uses a snifter for strong beers.^{15, 16, 44}

How to tell it from the glencairn glass. Cambridge: "a bowl-shaped glass that is narrower at the top and has a short stem". Wider than the Glencairn Glass: Glencairn's Skye snifter is 120 by 85 mm against the Glencairn's 115 by 66 mm.^{7, 44}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. Two makers: Glencairn 270 to 610 ml (9.1 to 20.6 US fl oz); Libbey 274 to 517 ml (9.3 to 17.5 US fl oz). As listed: Glencairn Skye Brandy ("Snifter Glass"), 120 x 85 mm: 270 ml (9.1 US fl oz)⁷; Glencairn Montrose Brandy: 270 ml (9.1 US fl oz)⁷; Glencairn Jura Brandy Glass: 610 ml (20.6 US fl oz)⁷; Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Brandy Cocktail type: 9.25 to 17.5 oz across 4 items (274 to 517 ml; all Libbey brand)⁴. Libbey's catalogue also lists brandy glasses of 5.5 and 22 oz and a Spiegelau 18.75 oz (163, 651 and 554 ml).

Cordial (liqueur) glass

Names: Cordial glass; pony glass (Nude's product type); "Cordial Cocktail" (a Libbey catalogue type).

What goes in it. Liqueurs, by its name (no authority we read gives it a drink). Browne's restaurant stocking list still carries a cordial glass.^{4, 10}

How to tell it from the shot glass. A very small glass that Libbey files with its stemware: 2 to 4 oz, against the shot glass's usual 1.5 to 2 oz without a stem.^{4, 9}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. Two makers: Libbey 59 to 118 ml (2 to 4 US fl oz); Cocktail Kingdom 90 ml (3 US fl oz). As listed: Libbey Foodservice catalogue, Cordial Cocktail type: 2 to 4 oz across 4 items (59 to 118 ml; brands: Libbey, Reserve by Libbey)⁴; Cocktail Kingdom Cordial Cocktail Glass, 3 oz: 90 ml (3 US fl oz)⁹.

Pint glass

Names: UK: nonic pint, tulip pint, tankard; US: shaker pint; "Pub" (Libbey); "Pint Glass" (Glencairn).

What goes in it. Beer. Cicerone: the nonic pint is the "Every day pub glass suited to any British or Irish ale", and the shaker an "American cocktail shaker adopted for beer". Libbey sells its Pub glass as an "All-purpose beer glass perfect for stouts, ales, porters and more" (the maker's claim).^{5, 16}

How to tell it from the pilsner glass. The pint is not one size. UK law: "Pint = 0.568 261 25 cubic decimetre" (568 ml, 19.2 US fl oz); Oxford: "0.473 of a litre in the US" (16 US fl oz). Libbey sells its "Pub" pattern at 16, 19 and 20 oz. Wondrich: the US pint glass is the bar's mixing glass, drafted for beer in the 1970s.^{4, 19, 45, 81}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. Two makers: Glencairn 568 to 570 ml (19.2 to 19.3 US fl oz); Libbey 473 to 591 ml (16 to 20 US fl oz). As listed: Glencairn Iona Tankard, Large: 568 ml (19.2 US fl oz)⁷; Glencairn Skye Tankard ("Pint Glass"): 570 ml (19.3 US fl oz)⁷; Libbey Pub, 16 oz (the size of a US pint): 16 oz (473 ml)⁴; Libbey Craft Brews Nucleated Pint: 16.75 oz (495 ml)⁵; Libbey Pub: 19 oz (562 ml)⁴; Libbey Pub: 20 oz (591 ml)⁴.

Pilsner glass

Names: Footed pilsner (Cicerone); "Pilsglas" (Zwiesel); "Stockholm Pilsner" (Libbey).

What goes in it. Cicerone's footed pilsner: "Suitable for German and Czech/Bohemian Pilsners." Libbey lists its pilsner for "Kolsch, Lager, Bock, Hefeweizen, Witbier, or Pilsner" (the maker's list).^{5, 16}

How to tell it from the weizen (wheat beer) glass. Tall and slim: Zwiesel's 0.3 l Pilsglas is 360 ml and 187 mm tall; Libbey calls its Stockholm a "classic, slender European design" where "The slim mouth showcases the foam head".^{3, 5}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. 360 to 473 ml (12.2 to 16 US fl oz), 3 makers. As listed: Zwiesel Beer Basic 0.3 l Pilsglas: 360 ml (12.2 US fl oz)³; Libbey Stockholm Pilsner: 14.5 oz (429 ml)⁵; Libbey Craft Brews lager/pilsner: 16 oz (473 ml)⁵; Urban Bar Ginza Tall Cuts Pilsner: 46 cl (460 ml, 15.6 US fl oz)⁶.

Weizen (wheat beer) glass

Names: Weizen vase (Cicerone); "Wheat beer glass" (Zwiesel).

What goes in it. Wheat beer by its name (Zwiesel sells it as a "Wheat beer glass"); Cicerone names no style, only that the weizen vase "Accommodates half liter of beer plus sizeable head."^{3, 16}

How to tell it from the pilsner glass. Taller and larger than a pilsner, sized for half a litre and its foam: Zwiesel's 0.5 l wheat beer glass prints 690 ml and 252 mm tall (our reading: 0.5 l is the pour and 690 ml the whole glass; the page does not say).³

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. Two makers: Zwiesel 690 ml (23.3 US fl oz); Libbey 473 ml (16 US fl oz). As listed: Zwiesel Beer Basic 0.5 l wheat beer glass: 690 ml (23.3 US fl oz)³; Libbey Craft Brews wheat: 16 oz (473 ml)⁵.

Tulip beer glass

Names: Belgian tulip; "Belgian Ale" and "Classic Belgian" (Libbey).

What goes in it. Cicerone: "Good utility glass suited to many Belgian styles from saison to blond ales."¹⁶

How to tell it from the pint glass. The shape, not the size: Libbey describes "an elegant tulip shape formed by the wide bowl and narrow top", at 16 to 16.5 oz, the size of a US pint.⁵

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. One maker we read: Libbey 473 to 488 ml (16 to 16.5 US fl oz). As listed: Libbey Craft Brews Classic Belgian: 16 oz (473 ml)⁵; Libbey Craft Brews Belgian Ale: 16.5 oz (488 ml)⁵.

Stange

Names: Stange (Cicerone's name).

What goes in it. Kölsch. Cicerone: "Used to serve Kölsch, often in 0.2 liter size."¹⁶

How to tell it from the pilsner glass. Cicerone's only printed figure is the size; we read no maker's spec for a Stange. In German bars 0.2 litre is one of the serving volumes the measuring rules allow.^{16, 22}

Where it sits. Bar, not laid: the table settings we read do not place it.

Capacity. No maker's spec in what we read. Cicerone: "often in 0.2 liter size" (200 ml, 6.8 US fl oz).

Cicerone's beer glasses

What the Cicerone Certification Program's chart says each one suits, verbatim:¹⁶

The chart is an image with no text layer, so we read it by eye. The Brewers Association's glass-by-style chart we could not read (it loads as images).

Copita (sherry glass)

Names: Sherry copita; Glencairn titles its Copita "Sherry Glass, Premium whisky glass"; Urban Bar sells a "copita shape" whisky taster.

What goes in it. Sherry, and whisky for nosing: Wiktionary's copita is "A sherry glass with a tapering bowl" (a weaker, crowd-edited source); Glencairn calls its Copita "a whisky-nosing glass that has since become a popular laboratory tool in distilleries worldwide".^{42, 47}

How to tell it from the glencairn glass. On a stem, taller and narrower than the Glencairn Glass: Glencairn's own Copita is 150 by 60 mm and 170 ml, its Glencairn Glass 115 by 66 mm and 200 ml. Urban Bar: "Stunning copita shape stemmed spirit glass".^{6, 7}

Where it sits. A sherry glass for the first course goes furthest right of the glasses.⁵⁴ (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. Two makers: Glencairn 170 ml (5.7 US fl oz); Urban Bar 120 ml (4.1 US fl oz). As listed: Glencairn Glencairn Copita, 150 x 60 mm: 170 ml (5.7 US fl oz)⁷; Urban Bar Spirit Crystal Whisky Taster: 12 cl (120 ml, 4.1 US fl oz)⁶.

Port glass

Names: "Port" (Riedel); "Sweet wine glass" (Zwiesel's article type for its port glass).

What goes in it. Port: Riedel names a glass for it, and Zwiesel's Alloro port glass lists vintage port, sherry (Jerez) and vermouth.^{1, 3}

How to tell it from the dessert wine glass. Smaller than a table-wine glass from the same makers: Riedel's 265 ml against its whites from 370 ml; Zwiesel's 310 ml.^{1, 3}

Where it sits. No fixed place in what we read.

Capacity. Two makers: Riedel 265 ml (9 US fl oz); Zwiesel 310 ml (10.5 US fl oz). As listed: Riedel Riedel Bar Port: 265 ml (9 US fl oz)¹; Zwiesel Alloro port glass: 310 ml (10.5 US fl oz)³.

Dessert wine glass

Names: Sweet wine glass (Zwiesel); the glass for "pudding wine" (Debrett's).

What goes in it. Sweet wine with dessert: Debrett's adds a smaller third glass, for pudding wine or champagne, to the water tumbler and two wine glasses.⁶⁰

How to tell it from the port glass. Small: Zwiesel's sweet wine glasses print 219 to 246 ml, against its whites from 300 ml.³

Where it sits. In a diamond of four or five glasses, the highest one.⁵⁶ (see the order of glasses)

Capacity. One maker we read: Zwiesel 219 to 246 ml (7.4 to 8.3 US fl oz). As listed: Zwiesel Highness sweet wine glass: 219 ml (7.4 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Marlene sweet wine glass: 221 ml (7.5 US fl oz)³; Zwiesel Glamorous sweet wine glass: 246 ml (8.3 US fl oz)³.

Flute vs coupe vs tulip: the three champagne glasses

Capacity will not tell them apart: flutes run 133 to 348 ml (4.5 to 11.8 US fl oz) and coupes 133 to 320 ml (4.5 to 10.8 US fl oz) in the makers we read. Height and width will: Riedel's Grape flute is 241 mm tall, its coupe 170 mm; the tulip is wider than the flute and larger, Riedel's 327 to 464 ml.¹ Cambridge sums it up: the flute is a tall, narrow glass with a long stem, the coupe has a wide, shallow bowl.⁴⁴ Which to pour into is in the New Year's Eve answer.

Red vs white wine glass, and Bordeaux vs Burgundy

Inside one maker's line the red glass is bigger: Riedel Vinum's reds 650 to 725 ml, its whites 370 to 404; Glencairn's Jura 480 against 340.^{1, 7} Across makers the ranges overlap (white glasses 300 to 600 ml (10.1 to 20.3 US fl oz), Bordeaux 645 to 1012 ml (21.8 to 34.2 US fl oz)), and Libbey's stemless "White Wine" is larger than its "Red Wine".⁴ At the table, Debrett's puts it simply: two wine glasses, "the larger one for red wine".⁶⁰

Bordeaux vs Burgundy: the Burgundy glass is shorter in all six lines that print both heights, and larger in 7 of the 10 maker lines we compared (Riedel Vinum 210 mm and 725 ml against 225 mm and 650 ml); not in Riedel Veloce, a Spiegelau short-bodied set (625 ml against 630) or Zwiesel The Moment.^{1, 2, 3} Whether the matching glass makes the wine taste better is in the studies: blindfolded tasters rated a Cabernet less intense in its own Bordeaux glass.²⁹

Highball vs Collins (and zombie)

Makers use the two names for the same tall, narrow glasses (highballs 200 to 480 ml (6.8 to 16.2 US fl oz), Collins glasses 300 to 360 ml (10.1 to 12.2 US fl oz)), and Difford's database titles one Urban Bar highball a "Highball Collins" (Urban Bar's own page says highball).^{6, 9, 11} Difford's Guide is the one reference we read that splits them: "(Collins' are served in larger 12oz Collins glasses.)", against a "small (10oz max) highball".¹³ The history runs the same way: Wondrich dates the Collins glass to the 1870s and the highball drink to the 1890s, served first in the fizz glass, and the glass named after the drink.^{81, 83} The zombie glass is the tall outlier, 450 ml at Cocktail Kingdom.⁹

Rocks vs old fashioned vs double vs lowball vs tumbler

One shape, several names. Rocks, old fashioned and lowball are the same short, wide glass in the makers' own titles (Riedel, Nude, Glencairn, Urban Bar), and Libbey files rocks and double old fashioned as one type.^{1, 4, 6, 7, 8} "Double" is a name, not a size: Cocktail Kingdom's Double Rocks (10 oz) is smaller than its plain Rocks (12 oz).⁹ Tumbler is the family word: any glass "with a flat bottom and no handle or stem" (Oxford), from a juice glass to a highball.⁴⁵ Wondrich traces the old fashioned glass to the 19th-century "small bar glass" and the double, the "bucket", to the 1940s.⁸¹

Martini vs coupe vs Nick & Nora

Shape, not capacity: Urban Bar sells its V-shaped martini and its coupe both at 21 cl, and Zwiesel files both as "Cocktail glass" with the same drinks.^{3, 6} The martini is a cone; the coupe a wide, shallow bowl; the Nick & Nora the smallest, 140 to 198 ml (4.7 to 6.7 US fl oz), with tall walls, "a narrower alternative to a wide martini glass".⁶ The IBA's "cocktail glass" fits any of the three: only four of its recipes say "martini cocktail glass", and one says "coupe glass".¹²

Snifter vs Glencairn vs copita

One maker, Glencairn, prints all three, so the figures compare like for like: the snifter (Skye) is 120 mm tall and 85 mm wide, 270 ml; the Glencairn Glass 115 by 66 mm, 200 ml; the copita 150 by 60 mm, 170 ml, on a stem.⁷ Glencairn says it designed its glass after the copita, "a traditional sherry nosing glass".⁴² For Cognac the interprofession prefers a tulip to either.¹⁵

Water goblet vs wine glass

A water goblet is a stemmed glass in the wine glass's shape; the difference is the name and the place. Spiegelau sells one item as "Red Wine/Water Goblet", and Zwiesel's stemmed water glasses (345 to 400 ml) sit below its red wine glasses.^{2, 3} On the table the water glass stands above the knife tip and the wine glasses to its right, so position, not shape, says which is which.^{54, 56} A tumbler does the same job: Debrett's lays "A tumbler for water".⁶⁰

What the glassmaker claims, then and now

Riedel's case for varietal glasses has been told two ways. Today's About page speaks of aroma: bowl shape, size and rim "are carefully calibrated to suit specific grape varietals, because each wine type has its own aromatic fingerprint", and cites no study.³⁷ In a 2023 article Maximilian Riedel still described the glass steering the wine: "for a wine with high acidity, flowing it onto the tip of the tongue emphasises the fruit and balances the acidity."³⁹ In 2025 a London sommelier, Harry Cooper of Counter 71, repeated the tongue idea against flutes, "missing out on the sweet, salty and sour receptors located from the tip and around the edges".⁴⁰ The tongue map those lines lean on "has long been discredited", and Spence's review finds the evidence argues against the glass changing how wine flows across the tongue, or at least against that making a noticeable difference.^{32, 33} Glencairn's nosing claim is the maker's too: we found no study of it.⁴¹

Our reading: buy glasses for the size, the feel and the look you like. The only shape effect with a clear measurement behind it is the flute holding champagne's gas longer, and even that has not been tasted.

Glassware is "drinking glasses or other objects made of glass" (Cambridge); Oxford's entry, just "objects made of glass", is why the word also brings up lab glassware.^{44, 45} The names that change by place or trade:

• Tumbler: Cambridge: "a drinking container that does not have a handle or a stem". The Collins entry on Dictionary.com adds that "Originally, a tumbler had a round or pointed base and so could not stand upright".^{44, 46}
• Rocks, old fashioned, lowball: One glass. Wiktionary (a weaker, crowd-edited source) lists lowball glass, old fashioned glass and whiskey glass as synonyms of rocks glass and derives the name from "on the rocks"; Cambridge has no glass sense for lowball. The makers' titles agree (see the look-alikes).^{44, 47}
• Goblet: Oxford: "a cup for wine, usually made of glass or metal, with a stem and base but no handle". "Water goblet" is the etiquette sources' phrase, not a dictionary's. False friend: French gobelet is a cup "généralement sans pied", without a stem (Larousse).^{45, 49, 56}
• Snifter: A brandy glass in North American English; in British English "a small drink of something alcoholic" (Cambridge) or, old-fashioned and informal, "a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink" (Oxford).^{44, 45}
• Pint: 568 ml in UK law ("Pint = 0.568 261 25 cubic decimetre"); Oxford gives "0.473 of a litre in the US". Beer or cider sold by retail in UK bars, unless pre-packed, is sold only in 1/3, 1/2 or 2/3 pint or multiples of half a pint.^{19, 20, 45}
• Schooner, middy, pot (Australia): The same word changes size by state. Macquarie Dictionary: a schooner is about 425 ml in NSW, the ACT, the NT and Queensland but about 285 ml in South Australia; in Victoria you ask for a pot; and a pint is about 568 ml in NSW and the ACT but about 473 ml in WA, Tasmania and SA (for SA, Macquarie itself gives 450 ml in one sentence). A middy is asked for by that name in the NT, NSW, the ACT, WA and parts of Queensland, and in the NT it means the same 285 ml glass as a South Australian schooner. In Britain a schooner can be a sherry glass (Collins, on Dictionary.com).^{46, 48}
• Copita: Spanish for a little glass ("diminutive of copa", Wiktionary); in English a sherry glass, and Glencairn's name for its whisky-nosing glass.^{42, 47}
• Nonic: A British pub glass with a bulge below the rim; Wiktionary derives the name from a "trade name for no-nick" (a weaker source).⁴⁷
• Nick & Nora: Named by the bartender Dale DeGroff in 1987 (see the history).⁷⁹
• Stemware: Cambridge: "glasses and glass bowls that have a stem".⁴⁴

Glass names in French, Spanish, German and Italian

Only words that Larousse, the Real Academia Española, Duden or Treccani print; a blank means we did not find it in those four, not that the word does not exist.^{49, 50, 51, 52}

A home kit (ours)

Our advice, not a rule from any source. The reasoning: a few shapes cover most drinks, and the studies give no specialist glass a proven edge.

1. Water tumbler (240 to 473 ml (8.1 to 16 US fl oz)): Water, soft drinks, juice, and a highball or spritz at a pinch.
2. All-purpose wine glass (473 to 685 ml (16 to 23.2 US fl oz)): Red, white and, at a pinch, sparkling: makers sell it for all three, and the studies give no glass a proven edge for its own grape.
3. Rocks glass (old fashioned) (148 to 444 ml (5 to 15 US fl oz)): Spirits on ice and most short cocktails: the IBA's old fashioned and rocks glasses. Together they are the first-named glass in 16 of the IBA's 102 recipes.¹²
4. Highball glass (200 to 480 ml (6.8 to 16.2 US fl oz)): Long drinks with a mixer, the Collins drinks included. The IBA names it in 11 recipes.¹²
5. Champagne flute (133 to 348 ml (4.5 to 11.8 US fl oz)): Only if you pour sparkling wine often; a white wine or all-purpose glass does the job otherwise (see the New Year's Eve answer).

At a dinner table Debrett's asks for even less: "A tumbler for water and two wine glasses, with the larger one for red wine, is usually enough".⁶⁰

What makers put in a box

We found no "starter bar" set at the makers we read. Their mixed boxes hold two or three shapes (in the sets we read), and a beer sampler six:

• Libbey 16-piece (Cabos and others): 8 tumblers (15.8 oz) and 8 rocks glasses (10.8 oz): two shapes⁵
• Libbey Boston 18-piece: 6 cooler (16 oz), 6 rocks (12.5 oz), 6 juice (9.8 oz): three shapes⁵
• Libbey Bar Essentials: one shape a box of 6: double old fashioned, highball or tumbler⁵
• Schott Zwiesel 18-piece Tulip: six white wine, six red wine and six champagne glasses: three shapes³
• Schott Zwiesel 17-piece Show bar set: 4 whisky, 4 schnapps and 4 long drink glasses (with straws and a brush): three shapes³
• Libbey Craft Brews: six beer glasses: sour, wheat, lager/pilsner, stout, high-ABV and IPA⁵

How many glasses for a party

No etiquette authority we read gives a number of glasses a guest. Hire firms do, and they split; each figure below is a firm's practice, not a rule:

• Party Rental Ltd (hire firm): 1.5 glasses a person in the first hour, then 1 an hour: 350 glasses for 100 guests over 3 hours.⁶³
• Caterhire (Ireland): Two drinks a person in the first hour, one an hour after, plus 10% for breakages.⁶⁴
• Glass Hire Melbourne: 1 glass a guest for one drink type, 2 to 3 for several, 4 to 5 for an all-inclusive sit-down meal, plus 10 to 20% more.⁶⁵
• Event Supplies (UK retailer): About three glasses a guest over a whole wedding.⁶²
• Plato Catering Hire (UK): For 100 day and 150 evening guests: 300 to 350 wine glasses, 100 to 150 beer or pint glasses, 100 to 150 short glasses, 150 to 200 highballs.⁶¹
• Select Hire (Ireland), flutes only: One a guest for a toast, 1.5 as a welcome drink, up to 3 over the event.⁶⁶
• Ina Garten (via Tasting Table): About two glasses a person with one signature cocktail.⁶⁷

Our reasoning: guests set a glass down and take a fresh one, so count drinks per hour rather than heads, and hire or borrow rather than buy for one big party.

Types of glasses in food and beverage service

For a restaurant, one supplier, Browne (a distributor of Pasabahce and Nude), lists 22 glass types and an ordering factor for each: "multiply the number of seats by the ordering factor listed". Its figures for the glasses in our table, glasses per seat:¹⁰

Crystal, glass, the dishwasher and clean glass

• EU law on the word crystal: "Lead crystal" must hold at least 24% lead oxide and "full lead crystal" at least 30%; "crystal glass" needs at least 10% of zinc, barium, lead or potassium oxides, so it can be lead-free.⁶⁸
• Health Canada: For lead crystal, "limit its use to serving food or drinks, never storing".⁷⁰
• Riedel (maker): "Most RIEDEL glasses are dishwasher-safe", tested to EN 12875; glasses labelled hand wash only, and most decanters, by hand.⁶⁹
• Cicerone: "Glasses that aren't beer clean result in beer that looks flat, lifeless, and unappetizing."¹⁷

Follow your own glasses' care card when they come with one (ours).

Placement has its own guide and the diagram maker draws any setting; this is the recap in the same words.

• Water: above the tip of the dinner knife, about an inch (2.5 cm), or a little to its right at 45 degrees; it stays all meal.^{53, 56, 57, 58}
• Wine: to the right of the water glass in the order the wines will be poured, up to five at a formal dinner; past three, the smaller glasses stand in front. Line, triangle or diamond is a choice of shape.^{54, 55}
• Flute or sherry: a flute for an opening toast or a sherry for the first course goes furthest right.^{54, 59}
• Dessert wine: the highest glass in a diamond.⁵⁶
• Leaving: "Glasses used for a particular course are removed at the end of the course."⁵⁴

The full layouts and why the guides disagree are in how to set a table, and the table setting diagram maker draws the place for the courses you choose. Holding a glass by the stem or the bowl, and how full to pour, is in fine dining etiquette.

Was the coupe modelled on Marie Antoinette?

No source we read shows that Marie Antoinette, Helen of Troy, Madame de Pompadour, Madame du Barry or Empress Josephine had a glass moulded on her breast; Snopes: "None of the "famed beauty's breast" tales hold up." (Snopes argues from a 1663 date for the glass that we could not check.)⁷⁴ If the V&A's "probably introduced around 1830" is right, the coupe is also later than Marie Antoinette's death in 1793.^{71, 74} Breast-shaped drinking vessels did exist, but they are not coupes: the porcelain milk bowls (jatte-tétons) of a 1787 service for Rambouillet, now in the Sèvres ceramics museum, and Greek mastos cups, which Apollo dates from the 4th century BC.^{75, 76} Popular accounts that date the coupe much earlier give no source we could check, so we leave their dates out; Apollo points to coupes in a 1735 painting, Jean-François de Troy's The Oyster Dinner, which we did not check.

The Nick & Nora's film link is a name story too: the glass was named in 1987, and "the glasses used in "The Thin Man" don't actually look like the Nick & Nora glass".⁷⁹

Setting a table for a dish you plated? Photograph the plate and Plate Artists re-plates that dish, with the food kept as it is and the changes named. Start with a re-plate.

We measured nothing, tested nothing and poured nothing for this page. Every capacity is a maker's nominal listed figure, read on the maker's own page, catalogue or product feed or where a distributor prints the maker's catalogue page (each source entry says which); a range runs across the makers we read, never a standard. Libbey's catalogue counts, medians and ranges are ours, computed from its item list, and so is the cut-off that keeps a catalogue's odd sizes out of a range: an item under half or over one and a half times its type's median size is left out and named in that glass's capacity note. The conversions (1 US fl oz = 29.57 ml, 1 cl = 10 ml) are ours. Difford's Guide's own brim measurements are labelled and kept out of the ranges. The IBA tally is our count of its 102 recipes; the Cicerone chart was read by eye. The grouping, the advice and anything marked ours are ours. The figures are AI renders of plain glasses, not photographs. Read 6 November 2026.