Why You Should Have Different Glasses for Different Drinks

Whether you are popping open a bottle of your favorite bubbly on a special occasion, shaking up an ice-cold cocktail after work, or serving your tried-and-true spirit, picking the right glasses will elevate your drink. The style of glass changes the flavor profile of your beverage by enhancing the smell, regulating the temperature of the drink, and establishing the appearance (we all know that eyes drink first!). So have a variety of barware styles on hand for different drinks—cocktail coupes, red and white wine glasses, beer tankards, champagne flutes, sake sets, and more. Fill your bar with shapes and sizes for the ultimate cheers experience. With the seemingly endless options of different glasses for different drinks, read along for must-haves and go-for-the-great options.

Eyes Drink First

First and foremost, choose beautiful barware. Over the years, you can acquire sets of four glasses. You may also mix and match single vintage glasses to build your collection. Heirloom-quality pieces that look good and feel good will become timeless additions to your home bar. Weston Table offers an extensive collection of functional and gorgeous barware glasses from around the world at different price points to elevate your everyday or to serve on special occasions.

Wine Glasses

You undoubtedly have heard that different wine glasses are appropriate for different types of wine. The seasoned wine connoisseur may discern subtle variations between the flavors and aromas released by the wine when served in certain shaped and sized glasses. Most importantly, reds and whites should be served in glasses intended for the specific body of wine. Larger bowls and taller glasses allow for more aeration of full-bodied red wines. Allowing the wine to breathe brings out the flavor of red wine. Designed with oenophiles in mind, Bordeaux glasses, medium-bodied glasses, and burgundy glasses all achieve this effect. White wine does not require the same aeration process. The shorter and thinner bowls of white wine glasses allows the drinker to lift the wine closer to their nose and to pick up on the more subtle aromatics. Narrow white wine glasses work best for full-bodied white wine such as Chardonnay, whereas white wine glasses with larger openings are appropriate for more acidic white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc. Stemmed red or white wine glasses allow for more formal tasting and serving experiences. For a different look, stemless glasses may be used for red wines, as the flavor profile will be less affected by the warmth of your hand on the glass. Total Wine provides an illustrated guide of how to choose the perfect fit for your wine. 

Cocktail Glasses

Picking the right cocktail glass is an important part of at-home bartending. With the seemingly endless options of glass styles, perhaps the best rule of thumb is to pick glasses from which you enjoy drinking. As you begin to build your bar cart, purchase three styles of go-to cocktail glasses: a cocktail coup, a martini glass, and a double rocks glass. These three glasses will work for nearly every cocktail that you make. For more experienced bartenders, a collection of tiki glasses, champagne flutes, Moscow Mule mugs, highball glasses, and sake sets rounds out your bar cart. Quality beats quantity, so buy less and buy better. Over the years, you will outfit a stylish bar with elevated pieces. 

Building your at-home bar requires different glasses for different drinks. Choose quality, beautiful options that you love, pour a glass of your favorite adult beverage, and cheers to the occasion!