Which Glass for Which Drink? A Guide to Choosing Glassware for Your Event
The right glassware can make a difference to both the presentation of your drinks and your guests’ experience. From preserving the bubbles in champagne to enhancing the aromas of wine, different glass shapes serve different purposes.
Whether you’re organising a wedding, corporate function or private celebration, choosing suitable glassware is an important part of planning your event.
To help you make the right choice, we’ve put together a practical guide to the most common glassware styles and their uses.
1. Champagne and Sparkling Wine
Champagne flutes are a traditional choice for serving sparkling wine. Their tall, narrow shape helps retain carbonation, keeping the bubbles lively for longer. They are particularly well suited to wedding toasts, formal dinners and special celebrations.
For a more distinctive presentation, champagne saucers, also known as coupes, offer a classic, vintage-inspired alternative. Their wide, shallow bowls create an elegant look and are often used for champagne towers and styled events.
2. White Wine and Rosé
White wine and rosé are generally served chilled, making glasses with smaller bowls a practical choice.
The narrower shape helps maintain the wine’s temperature while concentrating its delicate aromas. Holding the glass by the stem also prevents warmth from your hand from affecting the wine.
These glasses work beautifully for everything from formal dining to relaxed garden celebrations.
3. Red Wine
Red wine glasses typically feature a larger, rounder bowl, allowing more of the wine’s surface to come into contact with the air. This helps release its aromas and can enhance the overall tasting experience.
Full-bodied red wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, are particularly well suited to larger glasses, including the Grand Bordeaux style.
4. Stemless Glasses
Stemless glasses offer a contemporary alternative to traditional stemmed glassware. Their lower centre of gravity makes them more stable on tables, which can be particularly useful for outdoor gatherings and relaxed celebrations.
Versatile and practical, they can be used for wine, water, soft drinks and other beverages.
Coloured stemless glasses, including our blue and green options, can also introduce a subtle decorative element to your table setting.
5. Beer Glasses
Different beer styles can benefit from different glass shapes.
Pint glasses are a versatile choice for serving ales, lagers and draught beer. Pilsner glasses, with their tall, slender design, are particularly suited to lighter beers, showcasing their colour and helping maintain the foam head.
Both options work well for casual gatherings, corporate functions and larger celebrations.
6. Highball and Lowball Glasses
Highball and lowball glasses are essential for serving a variety of spirits and mixed drinks.
Highball glasses are tall and designed for drinks served with ice and a generous amount of mixer, such as gin and tonic, vodka soda or other long cocktails.
Lowball glasses, also known as rocks glasses or short tumblers, are ideal for whisky, spirits served over ice and shorter cocktails, including the Old Fashioned.
7. Cocktail Glasses
The presentation of a cocktail is often just as important as the drink itself, and the right glass can help create the desired effect.
Martini glasses are traditionally used for cocktails served without ice, including martinis and espresso martinis.
Hurricane glasses, recognised by their distinctive curved shape, are well suited to tropical cocktails and colourful mixed drinks.
For a more relaxed or rustic setting, mason jar mugs provide an alternative for serving cocktails, punch, lemonade and other refreshing beverages.
8. After-Dinner Drinks
After-dinner drinks often call for more specialised glassware.
Port and dessert wine glasses are generally smaller, reflecting the richer flavours and smaller serving sizes of these wines.
Brandy balloons feature a generous, rounded bowl designed to concentrate the aromas of brandy and cognac, while speciality coffee glasses are suitable for serving Irish coffee and other warm beverages.
Shot glasses are also a useful addition when serving selected spirits and liqueurs.
9. Water and Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Water glasses are an essential part of any table setting and should be considered alongside your wine and other beverage glassware.
Stemmed water glasses complement formal dining arrangements, while tumblers provide a practical and versatile option for more casual occasions.
For events with table service, adding water carafes allows guests to refill their glasses conveniently throughout the meal.
Quick Reference: Choosing the Right Glass
| Drink | Recommended glass | Options from the Insphire range |
|---|---|---|
| Champagne and sparkling wine | Flute or champagne saucer | Fortise, Roma, Rocco, Signature, Vintage and RCR flutes; Champagne Saucer |
| White wine and rosé | Smaller-bowled wine glass | Fortise, Roma, Rocco, Signature and Bohemia white wine glasses |
| Red wine | Larger-bowled wine glass | Fortise, Roma, Rocco, Signature, Vintage, RCR and Bohemia red wine glasses; Grand Bordeaux |
| Beer | Pint or pilsner | Signature Beer Pint and Signature Pilsner |
| Long mixed drinks | Highball | Fortise, Roma, Signature and Vintage highball glasses |
| Spirits and short cocktails | Lowball or short tumbler | Roma and Vintage lowball glasses; Rocco and RCR short tumblers |
| Cocktails | Martini, hurricane or mason jar | Martini Glass, Hurricane Cocktail Glass and Mason Jar Mug |
| Port and dessert wine | Small stemmed glass | Signature Port/Dessert Glass and Bohemia Cut Crystal Port |
| Water and soft drinks | Stemmed water glass or tumbler | Signature Stemmed Water Glass, tall tumblers and carafes |
Creating a Coordinated Table Setting
When selecting glassware for your event, consider how the different pieces will work together. Choosing glasses from the same collection can create a consistent look, particularly for formal dining and wedding receptions.
At Insphire, our glassware collections offer a variety of styles to complement different event settings.
The Fortise and Roma ranges are well suited to elegant weddings and formal dining, while Rocco and Signature provide versatile options for a wide range of occasions.
For events where decorative details are a priority, our Vintage, Bohemia and RCR cut crystal collections offer distinctive designs that can add character and interest to the table.
The most suitable choice will depend on your event style, the drinks being served and the overall presentation you wish to achieve.
Let Us Help You Choose
Planning the glassware for an event involves more than selecting a style. Guest numbers, the drinks menu and the type of service can all influence the quantities and combinations required.
With over 20 years of experience in event hire, the Insphire team can help you select glassware that suits your event requirements.
Browse our glassware collection online, select the pieces you prefer and send us your requirements. Our team will be happy to check availability and provide a personalised quote.
Alternatively, visit our Auckland showroom to explore the range in person and discuss your options.