Which glasses do you need at home?
Most home bars start with one glass too many and one too few. You buy what looks good, and then the right glass is still missing when guests arrive.
Five types cover almost everything you serve. Here we go through what they are, how many you need, and when it pays to buy a whole set.
Think function before form
A glass should be able to hold a drink. How it looks in the cupboard is secondary.
Five basic types go a long way: beer glass, wine glass, long drink glass, whisky glass, and champagne glass. With them, you can handle everyday dinners, Friday night drinks, and parties.
Everything else is supplementary, not fundamental. Therefore, start here and build on when you notice what's missing.
The Beer Glass
A 40 cl Conil glass is the most versatile beer glass. The shape suits lager, ale, and cider, and the size holds a bottle without the foam overflowing. Falcon Conil Beer Glass 40 cl does the job for everyday use.
If you drink a lot of craft beer, you can later supplement with a rounded bowl.
The Wine Glass
Wine actually requires two sizes. Red wine needs a large bowl, while white wine benefits from a smaller one. Bohemia Double for You solves both in one purchase, with four glasses of each size.
If you prefer to stick to a single glass, the Sarah wine glass 400 ml works for both red and white.
The Long Drink Glass
The long drink glass is the workhorse of the home bar. Gin and tonic, mojito, soda, and water with meals all go in the same glass.
The height also means the ice lasts longer. Long Drink Waterfall 470 ml holds a generous serving with plenty of room for ice.
The Whisky Glass
A low and heavy glass suits more than whisky. Old fashioned, negroni, and rum with ice are served in the same shape. The Whisky Glass Waterfall 410 ml can also withstand an ice cube without clinking.
The Champagne Glass
Bubbly needs height. A narrow flute keeps the carbonation much longer than a wide coupe, as the surface area exposed to air is smaller.
Bohemia Fascino champagne glass 290 ml works for champagne, prosecco, and sparkling cocktails.
The Shortcut: buy a ready-made set
If you want to avoid piecing together your assortment, there are ready-made sets. They are usually cheaper per glass and look uniform on the table.
Bohemia Barware bar glass set provides eight glasses in two sizes and covers both short and long drinks. If you need to cover the whole table, take the Globo glass set 16 pieces or the Tori wine glass set 18 pieces.
How many of each do you need?
Count on six of each if there are four of you at home. This provides a margin for something breaking and for half being in the dishwasher.
If there are two of you, four of each will suffice. If you often host larger gatherings, add a six-pack of what you use most, usually long drink or wine.
Quick Guide
- Beer: conil glass 40 cl
- Wine: large bowl for red, smaller for white
- Long drink: tall glass around 470 ml
- Whisky and short drinks: low glass around 410 ml
- Bubbly: narrow flute around 290 ml
- Quantity: four if there are two of you, six if there are four