Standard Wine Glasses
Depending on the types and quality of wine being served, you may find that there are multiple types of wine glasses offered. Wines from different regions are best experienced in different kinds of glasses. In general, red wine is served in a glass with a broader bowl while white is in a more narrow one. If you are a casual wine drinker, or if the restaurant doesn’t specialize in wine, having just a standard size wine glass is usually fine. Standard glasses can be used for any type of wine and are particularly good for sangria.
Unlike other types of wine, the smell of champagne is not as important for the experience of drinking, so the glasses are long and narrow. The shape allows for fewer bubbles to escape before there is a chance to drink it. While champagne is often reserved for special occasions, prosecco and sparkling rose have become wildly popular and can be served in the same glass.
Old-Fashioned (or Rocks) Glass
The old-fashioned glass is a short tumbler with a thick bottom. It's also called a "lowball" or "rocks" glass. Typically used for short mixed drinks—including the famous old-fashioned—that are served "on the rocks," not every lowball cocktail requires ice.
Old-fashioned glasses hold between 6 and 8 ounces. They are also available as a double old-fashioned (or double rocks), holding up to 10 or 12 ounces.
Common for drinks like the rusty nail, the smaller glasses are also used to serve a straight or neat pour of liquor—typically a dark spirit like whiskey. The larger glass is ideal for serving either a mixed drink like the white Russian or a straight pour of liquor with a single large ice cube or ice ball. These glasses can also be used for martini-style cocktails, with or without ice.
With a set of old-fashioned and highball glasses, you can handle most cocktails. The duo is a good choice for a minimalist bar when storage space is limited.
Highball Glasses
As with champagne flutes, the high narrow sides of a highball glass help to keep fizz from escaping and is used for all varieties of cocktails with carbonation. Drinks like Mojitos and gin and tonics are best served in highball glasses. Larger drinks without fizz are also often served in highball glasses; bloody mary’s, for instance, are best in a taller glass as they often require large amounts of a mixer and heavy toppings.
Shot Glasses
The shot glass is a very recognizable glass in the bar. They come in many styles, shapes, and sizes and are fun to collect. Any shot glass can hold straight shots and mixed shooters and take the place of a jigger when you need to measure drink ingredients. It is always good to have a few around just in case some break.
The average shot is 1 1/2 ounces while a "short" or "pony" shot is just 1 ounce. Some shot glasses hold 2 ounces.
The typical shot glass is made of thicker glass, particularly on the base. This reinforcement is designed to prevent it from shattering when the drinker slams the glass onto the bar after downing the drink.