Beer Service

Stocking a bar is different than stocking a dining room. Bars tend to use more glasses per person
than a typical dining room, and the variety of glasses needed is much larger than with other
operations. Below is a breakdown of the type of glassware a bar would need to serve cocktails, wine,
beer, shots and other drinks.

Beer Glasses
Bars, pubs or taverns should stock up on a variety of beer glasses. Use pint glasses for most
traditional beers, and pilsner glasses for lager beers. Keep plenty of glasses handy for both tap and
bottle beers alike. For cooling or frosting glasses, consider buying a glass chiller.

Beer Mugs and Steins

If you need glasses with thick bottoms and handles for lifting, beer mugs are the ideal choice. The
thick bottoms on these glasses allow them to sustain more abuse than other beer glasses.

Liquor Service

Shot Glasses
Stock up on plenty of shot glasses, which work with a variety of liquors. These glasses have thick
bottoms, since they are likely to be slammed on the table after the shot has been taken.

Whiskey Glasses
Simply put, whiskey glasses are shot glasses specially designed to serve whiskey. The thick bottom
will prevent the glass from breaking on the table.

Shooter Glasses
For one to five ounce shots or liquor cocktails, shooter glasses work perfectly. They are generally
taller than shot or rocks glasses. If you run out of these in a rush, use a small rocks glass or old
fashioned glass.

Rocks Glasses
For serving liquor on the rocks, go with rocks glasses. These short tumblers will produce the
perfect clink in the glass sound to satisfy your customers.

Old Fashioned Glasses

Use Old Fashioned glasses to serve small cocktails such as White Russians or an Old Fashioned
cocktail. They are also perfect for serving shots on the rocks, and can be interchanged with rocks
glasses. 6) Lowball Glass The lowball glass, Old Fashioned glass, or rocks glass, are all

names for a short tumbler with a solid base which holds around 6 to 8 ounces of
liquid. A solid base aids with drinks which require muddled ingredients. These low
glasses can also be used for serving a neat pour of liquor. Examples: Old Fashioned,
Negroni, White Russian. Speciality Glassware

Highball Glasses
For cocktails that have a higher ratio of mixture to liquor, use highball glasses. They are taller than
an Old Fashioned glasses, but shorter than Collins glasses. Keep plenty of these around, as they can
work as a water glass in a pinch.

Collins Glasses
When serving Tom Collins cocktails or other mixed drinks, use Collins glasses. These tall glasses are
very similar to highball glasses, but are generally taller and narrower.

Hurricane Glasses
For serving frozen drinks like a hurricane or a daiquiri, hurricane glasses are both decorative and
functional. The Hurricane cocktail, developed by New Orleans tavern owner Pat OBrien in the

1940s, was first poured into hurricane lamp-shaped glasses; hence the name. The drink and
the name stuck, and it has been a mainstay in the French Quarter ever since.

Martini Glasses
Keep cocktail glasses or martini glasses handy for serving martinis, cosmopolitans or other cocktails.
Martini glasses are also good for serving champagne. Martinis were originally served in cocktail
glasses (above), but the drink evolved into a variety of vodka-based tinis through the 90s,
and the serving sizes grew. Martini glasses differ from the traditional cocktail glass by
generally having a larger bowl and being fully conical at the bottom.

Cosmopolitan Glasses
Cosmopolitan glasses are fun, stemless cocktail glasses that are great for holding cosmopolitans and
other cocktails.

Margarita Glasses
When serving margaritas, whether frozen or on the rocks, serve them in margarita glasses. These
glasses are perfect for serving margaritas of any size, from small, seven ounce margaritas all the way
to sixty ounce super margaritas. Margaritas were traditionally served in a margarita glass; a
stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass. These may be rarely seen in general bars and homes,
as it has become the norm to serve margaritas in many other vessels, from pint glasses to double
Old Fashioned glasses.

Brandy Snifters
Brandy snifters are balloon-shaped liquor glasses ideal for serving brandy. The width of the glass
allows the brandy to breathe, and a narrow top concentrates the aroma inside the bowl of the glass.
The snifter glass has a very short stem which is supposed to be cradled in the hand, helping warm
the drink it contains. The large bowl allows the drink to be swirled, and a shorter mouth traps
aromas and allows the drinker to enjoy a more prominent smell as they sip. Mostly used for brown
spirits, such as brandy and whisky

Coffee Glasses
If you serve coffee cocktails, you should stock up on coffee glasses. These glasses are ideal for
serving coffee mixers, Irish coffee or even non-alcoholic iced coffee.

Cordial Glasses
Usually tall and narrow, cordial glasses can be used for serving a variety of sweet liqueors. In a
pinch, they also work well for serving beer samples.

Champagne and Wine

Red Wine Glasses

Bars that serve red wine should have plenty of red wine glasses specifically designed for red wine. A
wide rim will allow the aroma to open up in the glass. Ideally, wine glasses will have an extra thin rim
so that the glass will deliver the wine to the right spot on the tongue, but this is not always practical,
since thin rims break easily. Try to find the right balance between durability and the perfect glass to
match the wine. Red Wine Glass Glassware for red wine should have a larger, rounder bowl in
order to swirl the wine easily and help aerate it. A long stem will also keep the hand away
from the drink in order to prevent it becoming too warm. Examples: Pinot Noir, Syrah.

White Wine Glasses

White wine glasses usually have a smaller rim than the red wine glasses. Also, only serve wine in
glasses with stems, as your guests can hold the stems instead of the bowl of the glass. By not
touching the bowl their hands wont warm the chilled wine. White wine glasses will have a smaller
mouth area, and therefore a smaller surface area to aerate, so that wine does not oxidize too fast.
This is in order to retain the lighter, more delicate notes that white wines will generally have.
Examples: Chardonnay, Sauvignon.

Champagne Glasses or Flute Glasses

For champagne or sparkling white wine service, keep a stock of champagne glasses. These glasses
are also great for mimosas. Sparkling wine glasses come in both flute and bowl shapes. Either is fine,
but flute glasses will maintain the carbonation in the champagne. Flute Glass Sparkling wine

needs even less surface area, as this will help preserve the bubbles and stop it from going
flat too quickly. Hence, the flute glass, with its tall, thin bowl and small mouth. Also used for
Champagne cocktails. Examples: Champagne, Prosecco, Bellini.

Sherry Glasses
Use sherry glasses to serve aromatic or fortified wines, like sherry, port and Madeira. They can also
be used to serve aperitifs, liqueurs or layered shooters.

Multipurpose Bar Glassware

Beverage Glasses
Keep an extra supply of beverage glasses around for soda and water orders. These are great for
serving designated drivers or patrons who want a water or soda in addition to their cocktail. Also, if
you run out of pint, double rocks or highball glasses, beverage glasses can be used in a pinch.

Glass Goblets
Glass goblets can be used to serve a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, from wine, to
water, to brandy, to cocktails.

Which Glass For Which Drink: Wine

(3).
(4) Cocktail Glass The classic, traditional cocktail glass is an inverted cone bowl,
which can come in a variety of sizes, usually around 3 to 6 ounces. It is used to
serve cocktails without ice, or up. Its shape evolved from the fact that all
traditional cocktails would have interesting aromas, and the large mouth allows the
nose of the drinker to get close to the surface of the drink and fully enjoy its scent
and taste. Examples: Martinis, Cosmopolitan, Brandy Alexander, Kamikaze.
(5) Highball Glass A highball glass is a glass tumbler used to serve tall cocktails
and other mixed drinks that contain a large proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer, and
are poured over ice. It is often used interchangeably with the Collins Glass, although
the highball glass is shorter and wider in shape. Examples: Dark N Stormy, Bloody
Mary, Mojito, gin & tonic.
(6) Lowball Glass The lowball glass, Old Fashioned glass, or rocks glass, are all
names for a short tumbler with a solid base which holds around 6 to 8 ounces of
liquid. A solid base aids with drinks which require muddled ingredients. These low
glasses can also be used for serving a neat pour of liquor. Examples: Old Fashioned,
Negroni, White Russian. Speciality Glassware
(7) Irish Coffee Glass Hot cocktails such as an Irish Coffee or a Hot Toddy are best
served in an Irish Coffee glass, which is made with heat-resistant glass and has a
handle attached, to enable you to hold the drink comfortably.
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.
(11) The Glencairn Whisky Glass This specialty piece was developed by Glencairn
Crystal Ltd. with the purpose of getting the maximum flavors when drinking whisky.
It derives from traditional nosing glasses used by master blenders, borrowing the
wide bowl to show off the color and help expose the aromas, but instead uses a
tapered mouth to allow easier drinking.