There’s nothing like a just-poured martini in a frosty glass. “That snap of cold against the sharpness of the spirit—it’s magic,” says Tiffanie Barriere, a cocktail educator and consultant. “When you pour that chilled martini into a frosted glass, it’s the perfect connection of clear perfection.”
If the experience of a martini comes down to the marriage of the liquid and a nice, cold glass, then the glass itself is as important as the cocktail you pour into it. Typically, martini glasses come in three shapes: the classic V, the coupe, and the Nick and Nora. Since we’ve already reviewed the shallow, round coupes, we concentrated this testing on V-shaped glasses and Nick and Noras. To find the best ones, we tested 10 glasses by conducting four tests: mixing and serving both martinis and daiquiris, measuring cold retention, and testing durability. The best martini glasses combine elegance, robustness, and proper proportions.
The Winners, at a Glance
“Nick and Nora glasses are like the unsung heroes of cocktail glassware—they’re smaller, more intimate, and have a nostalgic feel,” Barriere says. At only 4.75 ounces in capacity, with high, curved walls, this glass is perfect for keeping a martini icy cold. It has a tight bowl that’s well-balanced with its base and its stem is long enough to grip comfortably, but short and thick enough to not feel flimsy. These glasses are both attractive and sturdy.
This classic glass performs better than other V-shaped martini glasses. It’s made of thin-walled glass, which feels light and comfortable. More importantly, this construction does exactly what a martini glass should do: The liquid flows smoothly without the interference of a thick wall of glass. Its deep, relatively narrow bowl also helps keep the drink cold.
Short and bottom-heavy, this little glass sits steady, decreasing the potential for spills. And because its base is large enough that you can grip it at the bottom, you don’t risk warming the drink with the heat of your hand around the bowl. At a rock-bottom price for a dozen virtually unbreakable glasses, it’s a great choice for big parties.
The Tests
- Martini Test: We stirred a martini over ice and strained it into the glass to observe its appearance. We tasted it to see if the glass enhanced or inhibited the drink’s aroma and flavor.
- Temperature Test: We took the martini’s temperature when poured and again 15 minutes later to observe how well it retained its chill.
- Daiquiri Test: We shook a daiquiri over ice and strained it into the glass to observe its appearance. We added a lime wheel to the rim of the glass to see if the garnish stayed put. We tasted it to see if the glass enhanced or inhibited the drink’s aroma and flavor.
- Cleaning Test: After each test, we hand-washed the glass to observe how easy it was to clean. We also dropped glasses one inch above the sink surface to test their durability.
What We Learned
What Are the Different Styles of Martini Glasses?
There are a variety of martini glasses that each provide a different experience of the drink.
- V-Shaped Glass: Popularized by the James Bond movies in the 1960s and ’70s—and originating even earlier, in the early 1900s— the funnel-shaped V-glass is the most recognizable martini vessel today. Barriere likes it for bold flavors, where the presentation matters just as much as the taste.
- Nick and Nora Martini Glass: Named for Nick and Nora Charles, the martini-loving detectives in the The Thin Man movies, the Nick and Nora features a tall, curved bowl, which is often smaller in size than many of the V’s. It provides a nostalgic, class-cocktail feel, and it’s great for shorter, icy pours that can be finished before the drink has time to warm up.
- Couple glasses: With their shallow, round bowl, coupe glasses are as elegant for martinis as they are for champagne. We’ve reviewed them before and did not include them in this test for that reason.
Nick and Nora Martini Glasses Felt Better to Drink From
The classic V-shaped glass, with its cone-shaped bowl, felt okay to drink out of, but the wide bowl and fluted walls were more likely to result in spillage as we sipped. Conversely, the Bormioli Rocco Nick and Nora Glasses’s curved walls, which end in a straight lip, felt more gratifying to drink from. Each sip was concentrated and perfectly directed into our mouth. Plus, the traditional four- or five-ounce size glass’s high walls kept a martini perfectly cold.
How Tall Should a Martini Glass Be?
The taller the glass, the more potential it has to break at the stem and the harder it is to store. And a very tall glass usually features a bowl that is so large, that the martini will warm faster than you might prefer. Our favorite glass from Bormioli Rocco had a stem that wasn’t much longer than the diameter of the stem and opening, and that felt just right. Shoot for about a four-inch stem.
Stemless Martini Glasses Were Durable
Glasses with stems are elegant, but the stems can be fragile. When we washed the glasses, we took extra care because we were worried that the stems might snap. Stemless martini glasses, like our winner from Libby, might be utilitarian, but boy, will they hold up. It felt like we couldn’t break them even if we tried, making them great for a big party. And once the music is cranked up, and the party is in full swing, who’s paying attention to the elegance of the glass, anyway? Stemless glasses also fit well in a freezer, so you can serve martinis truly ice cold.
The downside to stemless offerings is your hand will likely warm up your drink faster than with a stemmed glass. “Once poured and served, a martini will only get warmer, and there is a point as the liquid opens that is perfect, and then it gets too warm,” says Julia Momose, partner and creative director at Chicago’s Kumiko.
Thinner, Lighter Glasses Felt More Pleasant
There were fancy numbers among those we tested, like the etched Crafthouse By Fortessa Professional Charles Joly glasses or the hand-cut Dorset Martini Glasses. But even though they looked good, they didn’t feel as good when we were sipping from them because the glass tended to be rather thick. Instead, the sip that felt the best was from the thinnest glass. That’s why we liked the Williams Sonoma Reserve Martini Glasses—their low weight and thin walls made drinking from them smooth and seamless.
The Base and Bowl Should Be Well-Balanced
Some glasses, like the Zwiesel Glas Martini Cocktail Glass, have a bowl that is far greater in diameter than the base. We found that such glasses felt top-heavy and unstable. The glasses that felt the most secure were more balanced; the bowl and the base of these glasses were relatively equal in diameter. The bowl of the Bormioli Rocco Nick and Nora Glasses, for example, was only a quarter-inch larger than the base, so the glass felt less likely to tip over.
The Criteria: What to Look for in a Martini Glass
While we preferred the Nick and Nora glass shape, which funneled the drink neatly into our mouths, we also included two good-quality V-shaped glasses for that classic martini look. Whichever style you choose, a martini glass’ bowl shouldn’t be too big, or the drink will look like it’s not a full pour—unless you fill it with a bigger drink, and then you risk it warming up too much before you finish. The sweet spot, we found, was around five ounces, which gave us enough room for a four-ounce martini. The walls also shouldn’t be too thick, or it will be too unwieldy and feel clunky to sip from. Finally, it shouldn’t be top or bottom-heavy; the base should be about the same diameter as the bowl.
Our Favorite Martini Glasses
What we liked: What an elegant glass! Its ribbed, small bowl was perfectly balanced with its base. The stem was still sturdy enough that we didn’t need to fear breakage. Best of all, with its high walls and tight bowl, it kept drinks perfectly cold and made sipping them a pleasant, smooth experience.
What we didn’t like: A daiquiri stayed supremely chilled in this glass, but the lime wheel looked ridiculous on its rim. It’s just too much of a classic martini glass for that wheel on the side. So if you want to make a daiquiri in it, float the wheel rather than propping it on the lip.
Key Specs
- Price per glass: $8.75
- Weight of each glass: 6.68 ounces
- Diameter of opening: 3 inches
- Diameter of base: 2.75 inches
- Length of stem: 3.5 inches
- Total height: 6.25 inches
- Materials: Glass
- Number in set: 4
- Capacity: 4.75 fluid ounces
- Style: Nick and Nora
- Cleaning instructions: Dishwasher-safe
What we liked: This is not the most highfalutin glass; it’s not etched or hand-cut. But it’s elegantly balanced and lightweight. Best of all, the glass is thin enough that it doesn’t get in the way of the experience of the cocktail. It feels functional and timeless, with a wide base that keeps it firmly planted. And it’s small enough that it works for people with petite hands. We also like that its bowl is deep and relatively narrow, which helped keep the drink cold.
What we didn’t like: This glass is straightforward, so if you’re going for pizzazz, it might not be glitzy enough for you.
Key Specs
- Price per glass: $25
- Weight of each glass: 4.5 ounces
- Diameter of opening: 4 inches
- Diameter of base: 3.25 inches
- Length of stem: 3.5 inches
- Total height: 6.75 inches
- Materials: Glass
- Cleaning instructions: Dishwasher-safe
- Number in set: 4
- Capacity: 6 fluid ounces
- Style: V-Shaped
What we liked: Having a bunch of people over? Worried about elbows crowded around your table, and lots of frivolity that can lead to gleeful chaos (read: broken glasses)? Then you can’t beat this squat glass for durability. And with its deep, V-shaped bowl and hefty base, you don’t have to worry too much about your hand warming up the glass since you can grasp it low enough. Plus, for daiquiris, it just looks right.
What we didn’t like: Sure, it’s great for a big party, but if you’re serving martinis and going for elegance, it’s far too utilitarian for a glamorous sip.
Key Specs
- Price per glass: $2.10
- Weight of each glass: 8.25 ounces
- Diameter of opening: 4 inches
- Diameter of base: 2.25 inches
- Total height: 3.86 inches
- Materials: Glass
- Cleaning instructions: Dishwasher-safe
- Number in set: 12
- Capacity: 8.25 fluid ounces
- Style: Stemless
The Competition
- Riedel Drink Specific Glassware Nick & Nora Cocktail Glass: This tall-stemmed glass with its shallow bowl was handsome to look at, and its upright walls felt good to sip from. But the bowl was so big and wide that the daiquiri started to separate in it. We feared breakage if it slipped from our hands in the sink.
- Zwiesel Glas Pure German Crystal Glassware Collection, Martini Cocktail Glass: This Nick and Nora glass is even bigger than the Riedel, and that’s not a good thing. Martini pours either looked small or if we filled the glass, they warmed up too quickly. And the daiquiri separated fast. They’re also quite expensive.
- Dorset Martini Glasses: Although this glass felt durable enough for washing, it was very top-heavy and we feared it would tip over. It’s cumbersome and over-designed for our tastes, with a thick lip. The price is quite high, too.
- Luigi Bormioli Crescendo 10 Ounce Martini Glasses: Ten ounces is just too big for a martini glass. Our pours looked Lilliputian and drinking from it didn’t feel elegant.
- Schott Zwiesel Universal Classico Martini Glasses: The wide bowl looked like it would chip and it’s far too big for a drink. The daiquiri started to separate quickly. Plus, we could feel the seam on the stem, which wasn’t pleasant.
- Crafthouse By Fortessa Professional Charles Joly: This one had the same problem as the Dorset: It was far too heavy and unwieldy.
- Fortessa Jupiter Beaded Hobnail Glass: This thick, bumpy, squat glass did not look or feel like a martini glass. It was more like a margarita glass, so the lime wheel for daiquiri looked right at home. But a martini looked and felt wrong.
FAQs
What size martini glasses should I buy?
You want a glass that’s not too big, so drinks stay cold. The ideal glass has a five-ounce capacity, which holds a drink of around three to four ounces.
What can you use a martini glass for besides martinis?
Martini glasses should be crystal clear because part of the pleasure of drinking from one is viewing the libation within. Basically, any cocktail you can serve straight up is a good choice for a martini glass. These include martini variations that we often don’t think of martinis, such as the Negroni. With its bitter Campari and sweet vermouth lending it a bright, red hue, it is a traditional favorite for a martini glass. So, too, are drinks like the Manhattan. Other, less typical choices also look elegant in a martini glass, among them a classic daiquiri. With its few, choice ingredients, the drink is beloved for its purity. A martini glass helps it shine.
What is the best temperature for serving martinis?
A martini is best served quite cold, around 35 to 40°F—this is because the cold temperature dulls the ethanol flavor, allowing other more nuanced expressions to shine through.
Should you store your martini glasses in the freezer?
The experts we interviewed were unanimous on this point. As Fords Gin founder Simon Ford says, “One of the keys to a good martini is making sure everything you do leads to the most chilled drink you can make, and that includes the vessel you serve it in. The more chilled the vessel, the longer it will keep your martini cold, since martinis are rarely served on the rocks. Ideally they are kept in the freezer before use.” If you don’t have room in the freezer? “At the very least you should place ice into your cocktail glass to chill it down while you mix your martini,” he says.
Can you clean a martini glass in the dishwasher?
Many manufacturers will say that their martini glasses are dishwasher safe. But handwashing—in warm water with a mild soap— decreases the potential for breakage.
Why We’re the Experts
- Betsy Andrews is a James Beard and IACP award-winning writer who has covered drinks for a quarter century. She has written about martinis for many publications.
- Her favorite pour is a slightly wet, slightly dirty Gibson.
- For this review, she tested 10 martini glasses by using them to serve martinis and daiquiris. She also examined their durability.
- She interviewed Tiffanie Barriere, the cocktail educator and consultant behind The Drinking Coach; Simon Ford of Fords Gin; and Julia Momose, partner and creative director at Chicago’s Kumiko Bar.