As a bartender, you need extensive knowledge about what glass to use for specific drinks.
You can’t go serving wine in beer mugs. Or can you?
Maybe not.
So your drinkware should consist of different glasses based on shape, size, and design. It would be best if you learned these variations to serve your drinks with the right glasses. This guide helps you to understand your glassware and how to choose specified glasses for a given bottle.
Besides, it helps in selecting specific glasses for your bar.
Let’s get started.
Cocktail Glasses
Cocktail glasses come in different shapes, styles and serve between 3 to 6 ounces of either cocktail or martini. The style of the glass includes frosted and painted stems, with others being stemless. The size, on the other hand, may vary with some glasses holding up to 10 ounces.
Since cocktails are served without ice, it is vital to include glasses containing 4 ounces of the drink and a stem.
Margarita Glasses
Margarita drinks are classified as cocktails and served in cocktail glasses.
However, there are margarita glasses solely specified for margarita drinks. These glasses have a wide rim and a double-bowl design essential for icy margaritas. The sizes of margarita glasses range from 6 to 20 ounces, with some holding up to 60 ounces.
The difference in size is mainly based on the icing. Smaller glasses are not for icy margaritas. On the other hand, medium to large glasses are suitable for frozen margarita drinks.
Shot Glasses
Everyone loves shot glasses. At least most people do. Not sure about you.
These glasses are fashionable in bars and often considered a must-have in a bartender glassware collection. Typically, shot glasses are short and small in size and used for shots of liquor.
However, there are taller and thinner glasses used to serve layered and colored shots. These glasses hold 1 and 11/2 ounces of shots and mixed shooters. Designed from thick glass, shot glasses come in different shapes and used for different shooters such as tequila.
Champagne Glasses
Champagne cocktails are standard, and having a few of the glasses on your shelf is an excellent investment.
Champagne glasses come in different shapes; flute, tulip, and saucer. Flute glasses are tall, thin, and hold between 7 and 11 ounces. Tulip glasses have a longer stem, and a bowl with a rim flared outwards.
Saucers are more classical glass designs that serve sparkling drinks and flatter than the rest.
Beer Glasses
When it comes to beer; glasses, pints, and mugs can be used to serve. They are used interchangeably, but some are specified based on quantity, type of beer, and icing. For instance, pint glasses hold 16 ounces of beer when pulled from the freezer. Mugs often have handles and contain between 10 to 14 ounces of beer. There are also pilsner glasses that are fluted and consists of a full rim, solely used for light beers.
Highball and Collins Glasses
Generally, highball and Collin glasses are often similar because of distinctions arising from the height and few design modifications. The two hold the same quantity of between 8 and 16 ounces. They are a convenient item that every bartender should have in their drinkware.
The two glasses can again be used interchangeably. As such, handball and Collin glasses can be used to serve drinks. For example, zombies, shots of liquor topped with sodas or mixed fruits, and a good old Bloody Mary.
Wine Glasses
Many designs and shapes of wine glasses are available for bartenders. Essential wine glasses are the most common and must be included in your glassware collection.
As a bartender, bear in mind that white wine glasses vary from red wine glasses. White wine glasses are often taller and wide, while red wine glasses are rounder with a smaller bowl. Besides, wine glasses are excellent for serving wine cocktails.
Specialty and Classical Glasses
Most classical glasses are referred to as lowball and include Rusty Nails and old-fashioned glasses. These glasses are used to serve short mixed drinks with ice and hold between 6 to 8 ounces, with some going up to 12 ounces. Specialty glasses include tall and short cocktail glasses. Tall specialty glasses comprise of Irish coffee, hurricane and brandy sniffer glasses holding between 8 to 12 ounces. Short specialty glasses include sour, cordial, and jenever tulip glasses that keep between 3 to 6 ounces.
It is essential to use the correct glassware for liquor anytime you serve a drink. The guide provides vital insights into some of the must-have drinkware in your bar.