Glassware

What it is

Named after the cocktail-drinking detective couple from Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man, the Nick & Nora is a smaller, more upright variation on the coupe — with a narrower bowl that tapers slightly inward at the rim rather than flaring open. It holds less liquid, which means smaller, more precise pours. It is, in the eyes of many working bartenders, the most elegant cocktail glass in existence.

What it does to your drink

The Nick & Nora's narrower bowl concentrates aroma more than the coupe — directing a focused column of scent toward the nose rather than broadcasting it broadly. The smaller volume means drinks stay colder longer, since there's less liquid to warm. It rewards precise recipes: a Nick & Nora pour is usually 75–90ml of finished drink, which forces discipline with ratios. It also sits more stably than a coupe, which has a tendency to tip on uneven surfaces.

What it is

Identical in shape to the rocks glass but larger — wide, heavy-bottomed, designed for more generous pours or drinks that need more ice. The double rocks glass handles anything that needs room: a built drink with multiple large ice cubes, a smash or a crushed-ice drink with a full complement of ingredients, or a straightforward spirit-over-ice pour that calls for a longer, more relaxed experience.

What it does to your drink

The additional volume of the double rocks glass gives drinks space to breathe — particularly important for smashes, slings, or any drink with muddled ingredients that take up volume. It also accommodates crushed ice properly, which packs differently from cubed ice and requires the extra depth. For drinks like the Whisky Smash or the Bramble, the double rocks format is the correct one: enough ice to keep everything cold through a longer drink, enough room to build without overflow.

What it is

Similar to the highball but taller, narrower, and with slightly more volume — the Collins glass is named after the Tom Collins, the drink it was designed to hold. The extra height accommodates the additional mixer volume of Collins-style drinks (typically 90ml of spirit to 120ml+ of citrus and soda) and provides a dramatic presentation. In practice, the highball and Collins glass are often used interchangeably at home.

What it does to your drink

The Collins glass's additional length keeps a carbonated drink at the right ice-to-liquid ratio throughout — as the ice melts, the level drops evenly, and the drink stays cold and relatively consistent. The narrow diameter also makes it easier to add garnish on the rim without it interfering with drinking. For drinks that involve layering (such as a Tequila Sunrise), the Collins format creates a more dramatic visual separation of coloured components.

What it is

A large, wide-bowled stemmed glass designed to allow wine to breathe and aroma to develop. In cocktail use, the wine glass has become the definitive vessel for aperitivo-style drinks — the Aperol Spritz, the Hugo, the White Wine Spritz — where volume, ice, and garnish all need space, and where the wide bowl allows the drink's botanical aromatics to be fully appreciated. It is also increasingly used for complex, wine-based long cocktails.

What it does to your drink

The wine glass's large surface area maximises aroma release — particularly important for drinks built on wine or vermouth, where the aromatic compounds are more delicate than those of a distilled spirit. The wide bowl accommodates a generous amount of ice and a full garnish without crowding. The stem keeps the drink cold. For aperitivo-style drinks, the experience of drinking from a wine glass — the generous pour, the visible garnish, the botanical aroma that reaches the nose before the sip — is part of the ritual. It signals leisure and intention.