If there’s one question sure to send your server over the edge, it might be this one: “Why does my glass matter?”. Whilst it's nice to show new people the ropes and bring new people into our craft, we thought it might be useful to settle this once and for all!

Sit tight, because it's time for an Urban Bar Essentials lesson!

Addressing The Obvious

Of course, one of the major benefits of selecting the right glass is all about pizzazz! What artist doesn't like to see their work appreciated every once in a while, right?

The truth is, aesthetics do go a long way in top-class bar settings - giving you that feeling of uniqueness with every sip comes much more naturally when you’re looking good doing it!

But, even with that, the real enhancements are hiding just behind the veil…

The Right Tool For The Job

Glasses are selected for a purpose. We want to make sure that everyone tasting our creations feel like they’re being taken on a journey. That’s only going to happen when we can bring all of the pieces of the puzzle together; aroma, temperature maintenance, colour enhancement, and flavour; all of these are affected by the glass!

Here are some classic examples we can use to drive this point home:

1. Highball glasses are great for mixer-based drinks. They allow for the subtleties of the alcohol to be carried through the entire drink. It also allows for the bubbles to rise effectively.

2. Old Fashioned work best when the spirits are the main focus of the cocktail. Punchy flavours all mixed into a limited space helps to blend all of those notes together.

3. Martini glasses are always prioritised when drinks are “shaken, not stirred”. They excel at simple straight-up cocktails.

4. Coupe glasses are the queens of temperature; the stem is specifically there to prevent you from warming the glass with your hand.

Options like the Old Fashioned and Martini glasses also allow us to try drinks in different ways. With a focus on spirits, and using the glass to bulk out or empower the subtleties, you can turn a shot - or mixture of them - into a cultured experience.

It's Not Just Cocktails!

Wine glasses also hold a special place in the barperson’s toolkit. Did you know that in some parts of the world it's criminal to put white wine in a red wine glass? We’re joking, but it should be!

Swirling is one important technique for high-quality wine tasting; aerating wine to that level is only doable with the right equipment. The bowl-to-opening ratio of wine glasses is specifically designed for this; it allows for the wine to breathe more freely and aerates effectively.

Not only is this going to improve your overall tasting experience, but swirling also serves to unlock all of those hidden aromas that are waiting to greet your nostrils.

The truth is that the design of the wine glass is the reason wine has been able to come so far. The same most certainly applies to cocktail glasses!

Looking to get your hands on some new barware? We recommend taking a look at our range of Cocktail Shakers. Don’t forget to also check out our ranges of the glasses we covered above. We can even fulfil bespoke orders for your glassware, so be sure to get in contact.

Image: 5PH / Shutterstock.com