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I'm a drinks writer and these are the glasses I swear by

Serve your favourite cocktail or wine in the right glass to improve the flavour and mouthfeel.

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best drinking glasses
Alina Nechaeva//Getty Images

If you're really into your cocktails or wine, chances are you're probably obsessed with glassware, just like me.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have over 40 drinking glasses in my small one bedroom flat that I share with my partner, but I love making cocktails at home for both of us, and I find that serving them in the correct glass can completely change the taste and feel of the drink itself.

You'll find eight different styles of drinking glasses below, each one personally featuring in my drinks cabinet, all with a very important job: to elevate and improve the flavours and mouthfeel of your wine, spirits or cocktails.


1
Best for red wine

Stölzle Lausitz Set of 6 Wine Glasses

Stölzle Lausitz Set of 6 Wine Glasses
Credit: Stölzle Lausitz

If you're a lover of red wine, you'll want to invest in a bowled-type glass to allow for the complex aromas and flavours to open up and soften. The bigger the surface area, the better the wine can aerate. These beautiful glasses will make your red wine shine and also happen to be dishwasher-safe and shatter-resistant - ideal!

2
Best for white wine

Iittala Essence Set of 4 White Wine Glasses

Iittala Essence Set of 4 White Wine Glasses
Now 55% Off
Credit: Iittala

To make the most of your white wine, opt for a smaller bowl shaped glass with a narrower opening. This contains and preserves all the delicate aromas and flavours and helps to maintain a cooler temperature. Plus, these are dishwasher-safe and have a tapered stem for a chic look.

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3
Best for fizz

Nude Glass Set of 2 Savage Coupe Glasses

Nude Glass Set of 2 Savage Coupe Glasses
Credit: Nude Glass

I favour a coupe-shaped glass for fizz over a long fluted version, and this sophisticated design helps to bring out the citrus notes and remove excess bubbles that can make your nose tingle. It's super slim and lightweight and you'll feel like your part of a Gatsby party. These were made for a celebration!

4
Best for martinis

LSA International Set of 4 Borough Martini Glasses

LSA International Set of 4 Borough Martini Glasses

A martini glass exudes elegance in a home, and these slender and durable martini glasses will do just that. They're the perfect vessel whether your team gin or vodka, and the long stem helps keep the bowl chilled which is of upmost importance when enjoying a martini. They're also the perfect shape and size for a daiquiri, a Manhattan and an espresso martini. Versatile and dishwasher safe, too!

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5
Best for long drinks

Luigi Bormioli Set of 4 Jazz Glass Highball

Luigi Bormioli Set of 4 Jazz Glass Highball
Credit: Luigi Bormioli

You'll need a highball glass on your drinks cabinet for those longer and refreshing drinks like a Tom Collins or a scotch and soda. These beautifully crafted, multi-faceted glasses make even a glass of water feel glam. They're super sturdy and dishwasher safe, too.

6
Best for short drinks and sipping

Villeroy & Boch Set of 4 La Divina Whisky Glasses

Villeroy & Boch Set of 4 La Divina Whisky Glasses
Now 30% Off
Credit: Villeroy & Boch

I adore these whisky glasses from Villeroy & Boch. They have a heavy base so feel sturdy but a thin lip so they feel delicate, too. They're the perfect curved shape for a big round ice cube to go with whisky (if that's your thing) or perfect for serving sipping spirits and liqueurs.

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7
Best for space saving

AARKE Set of 4 Nesting Tumblers

AARKE Set of 4 Nesting Tumblers
Credit: AARKE

For when space is a luxury, you'll find joy in these clever nesting glasses from AARKE. Whether you're reaching for a short sipping drink, or want a refreshing highball, you'll adore tasting from these as they have a very pleasing thinness to them without feeling overly fragile either.

8
Best all-rounder

Luigi Bormioli Set of 6 I.S.O. Wine Tasting Glasses

Luigi Bormioli Set of 6 I.S.O. Wine Tasting Glasses
Credit: Luigi Bormioli

Having previously worked on the Good Housekeeping Institute's taste testing team, these are the glasses we used and still do today when running our alcohol taste tests. These ISO wine glasses are recognised internationally as the standard design for tasting so really work well as an all-rounder for reds, whites, fizz and liqueurs.

Headshot of Melanie Giandzi
Melanie Giandzi
Senior Food & Drink Writer

Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.

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