How to Choose the Right Whiskey Glass Style

Even while there’s something unique about sipping whiskey from a flask when out in the woods, nothing compares to sitting down with your favorite bottle and pouring the perfect glass. You inform your body and mind that it’s time to rest and unwind even before you open the bottle.

What Type of Whiskey Glasses Exists?

All of the conventional and unique types of whiskey glasses can be found in our list below. Please keep in mind that several companies have created their own versions with distinctive names in order to market their products in association with a specific drink.

• The tulip/copita glass: middle-size glass with a broad middle and narrowing top (shaped like a tulip) on a stem
• The whiskey tumbler: a flat-bottomed drinking glass that comes in many different sizes (note that the old fashioned/rocks/lowball glass is also a tumbler)
• The highball glass: a bigger/taller version of the lowball/tumbler glass
• The old fashioned/rocks/lowball glass: a middle to large-size glass with a wide brim and thick base.
• The Glencairn glass: small tulip shaped glass with a short base instead of a stem. Designed in 2001 specifically for whiskey drinking.
• The snifter glass: a short-stemmed glass with a wide bottom and narrow top (balloon-shaped)
• The neat glass: middle-sized old fashioned/rocks/lowball glass specifically designed for drinking your whiskey neat – unmixed, without ice or chillers.
• The shot/shooter glass: small (typical 2 oz.) glasses for drinking shots of whiskey
• The cordial glass: very small and thin glass with stem – also known as “pony glass”

The Whiskey Glass Guide Intro

The best whiskey glass set is determined by the type of whiskey you enjoy and how you choose to consume it. We’re not here to advise you how to do things or to pass judgment on what’s right or wrong. In this article, all we want to do is guide you through the maze of whiskey glasses and help you pick the one that best suits your needs.

How To Choose The Right Type of Whiskey Glass?

Glasses exist in a range of shapes and sizes, just like whiskeys. You should consider the material (ideally lead-free crystal for the highest clarity and brilliance), as well as the weight and feel in your hand, in addition to the type of whiskey glass. We’ve provided some general guidelines below to help you figure out which type of whiskey glass is best for your chosen method of whiskey consumption:

1. Neat: means drinking whiskey at room temperature without anything else in the glass
   Recommended glass: tulip/copita, Glencairn, snifter or neat glass – depending on the quality of your whiskey and your personal preference.
2. With water: adding a small amount of distilled or spring water into the whiskey
   Recommended glass: tumbler and old fashioned/rocks/lowball glass that allows for adding water and still being able to swirl the whiskey
3. On the rocks (chilled): means adding ice to the whiskey – either via whiskey stones or ice cubes depending on whether you want to water down your drink
   Recommended glass: larger versions of the tumbler and old fashioned/rocks/lowball glass (but; do ensure that the glass is fit for ice and whiskey stones as it might damage thinner ice or delicate decorations)
4. Cocktail-style: blending your (low- or mid-range) whiskey into a cocktail – e.g. Old Fashioned, Mint Julep, Manhattan or a Rob Roy

After you’ve weighed the benefits and drawbacks of the type of whiskey glass alternatives, compare them and spend some time with them before making a final decision. You’ll need enough glasses for each tester as well as each whisky.

“Whatever type of whiskey glass you choose, it is critical to use the same glass across all of them if you are going to compare whiskies,” Davidson adds. “Swirl them about, and if you think it’s too strong, add more water. Trying different whiskies is usually a fun adventure.” Make the same meticulous considerations for your glassware as you did for your whiskies, and your tasting will be picture perfect. Also in this blog, we also have an article about what is whisky glass that you might want to dive deeper about it.