Your Home Bar: Part 2, Glassware

We taste with all senses, and the presentation of a cocktail gives us some visual clues as to what is to follow. Imagine a martini served in a champagne flute—it just wouldn't feel right. Gathering glassware is a fun—and addictive—pastime for cocktail enthusiasts. I find much of my most prized vintage glassware at secondhand shops. It doesn't have to cost a fortune to build an interesting collection, and I don't always follow the glassware "rules" when imbibing at home. Cocktails are fun and creative, and your glasses can be, too. Here is a guide to building your arsenal of impressive glassware.

Champagne flute: A tall, narrow, stemmed glass used for sparkling wines and cocktails. However, champagne coupes, with rounded, shallower bowls, were the original vessel for sparkling drinks; they allow the bubbles to carry aroma more easily to the nose… the second step in tasting.

Highball: Taking its name from the highball drink (spirit + mixer), this is a commonly used glass for rum and Coke, for example, served over ice.

Collins: Taller and narrower than the highball, this is typically used for long drinks such as the Tom Collins.

Margarita: These festive, wide-rimmed glasses aren't always practical for restaurants because they are so big, but they are fun at home. Margaritas are also often served in double rocks glasses.

Martini (cocktail): This V-shaped glass is known as the martini glass but is also used for many drinks with the option of being served "up," such as the Manhattan. It is also called a cocktail glass among mixology purists.

Bar mug: This thick glass mug can be chilled for beer and cocktails; it is also heat-resistant when serving warm drinks.

Rocks: A short, squat glass used for sipping spirits, neat or on the rocks. A double rocks glass is a larger version of this.

Snifter: This short stemmed glass has a wide bowl for swirling fine sipping spirits such as a nice brandy or aged tequila. Sometimes, the glass is pre-warmed with hot water to further release a spirit's aroma.

Vintage cocktail: A catch-all term for cool, old glassware. They are typically small, as cocktails were originally not more than 4 or 5 ounces.

Wine, red: This bowl-shaped glass has a large surface area, allowing for more oxygen to react with the wine, thereby allowing the flavors and aromas to "open." It's also a nice choice for drinks such as the gin and tonic, because the bowl allows gin's aromatic botanicals to easily meet the nose.

Wine, white: A stemmed, tulip-shaped glass usually associated with chilled rosé or white wine. When wine is cold, the aromas are not as easily detected.

Decanter: This glass bottle is used for expensive red wines that react well with a bit of oxygen, outside the bottle, before drinking. It's also helpful in holding back sediment from old bottles of wine.

Wine bucket: Fill with ice and water to keep wine (or vodka) cold when entertaining.

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