In the world of cocktail glasses, it’s a coup for the coupe. And I’m a fan. I’ve always preferred both champagne and ice cream sundaes from wide, shallow stemmed glasses. I’m never as happy with a champagne flute.
Long rumored to be modeled after Marie Antoinnette’s breast, the coupe oozed sophistication in black & white televisions shows. Often etched with a delicate pattern, it looks lovely in a china cabinet, and it feels stable in my hand even if I wave it around to make a point.
According to a 2021 article in New York Magazine, “In most modern cocktail bars, the coupe has dethroned the V-shaped martini glass as the go-to.” Again, I’m a fan. Several Hendrick’s gin martinis served in chilled coupes garnished with brined green tomatoes from my garden (tomolives) have made the past week delightful!
In fact, last week almost had the power to erase my first martini drinking experience which was less than pleasant. Part of the problem was my first martini was served in a rocks glass. At someone’s house, I might not have thought much of it, but I was at the Court of Two Sisters in New Orleans where I expected a stemmed glass so the martini would remain chilled.
At home, I’m not a proponent of purchasing glasses for entertaining that you’ll rarely use, but knowing why certain drinks are served in a certain shape can help you decide the best option from your collection or whether it’s worth borrowing or renting.
Since we began with the coupe, let’s stick there for a moment. These glasses typically hold 6ozs, are versatile, and work well for sipping champagne or serving a wide variety of cocktails. The shape is good for a drink that’s shaken or stirred with ice and served chilled as well as one served without ice. The stem keeps the cocktail cool while you sip. And it’s easy to find graceful vintage coupes at antique shops.
The stems on red and white wine glasses also help maintain temperature control. Wine glasses hold more volume than a coupe by means of a deeper bowl. The top opening is smaller, but large enough to stick your nose in to enjoy the aromas. Red wine glasses tend to be larger (8-22ozs) than whites (8 to 12ozs) to allow room for bolder, fuller flavors to breathe.
Rocks glasses don’t need stems because they’re designed to hold ice cubes. They are less delicate than coupes or wines and have steep sides and an open mouth that makes stirring easy. In spite of the steep sides that allow a rocks glass to hold 6-10ozs, a standard rocks pour is about 2ozs. As a result, rocks glasses rarely look full when drinks are served.
Highball glasses often feature cocktails served with soda water. The tall, thin shape assists temperature control and bubble preservation.
Nick and Nora glasses are a newer addition to the craft-cocktail serving line-up, but they have become common for serving stirred drinks including martinis. Nick and Nora glasses have a bell-like round bottom with a wide top. They fall somewhere between a coupe and small wine glass and hold 3-4ozs.
To round out your cocktail glassware, you may want smaller glasses to serve dessert wines or liqueurs. You can add other specialty items– snifters, copper mugs, sake glasses, julep cups, Irish coffee glasses, flutes – if you are serving drinks that will benefit from traditional shape or function. But if you want to serve martinis, Gibsons, cosmos, daiquiris, greyhounds, Rob Roys, sidecars, gimlets, and a host of other cocktails, a coupe is always a good bet. It’s the most versatile glass to use when hosting a cocktail party.
Elegant, rounded lines with a wide mouth that easily supports garnish and a stem to keep the cocktail cool helped it squeeze out the V-shaped martini glass in a coup for the coupe.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
