Glassware For Men: There Are No Rules But We Have 15 Great Options
I recently published an article giving my advice on the best glasses for an old fashioned, and I’ve since had a few questions about other types of glassware for men which have led me to write this guide. Of course, glassware is not gender specific, it is chosen based on the type of drink being served, personal preferences, and the occasion rather than gender. However there are certain designs that may be more masculine.
In this guide, I focus on glassware for men, exploring various types of glasses and their significance for different drinks. From whiskey enthusiasts to wine connoisseurs, cocktail aficionados, and beer lovers, this guide aims to assist men (or women buying for men) in selecting the perfect glassware for every drinking preference.
Selecting the right glassware is not only about functionality but also about enhancing the drinking experience. Whether it’s sipping a fine whiskey, enjoying a glass of wine, crafting a cocktail, or enjoying a cold beer, having the appropriate glassware can elevate the entire experience. I have suggested some currently available products in this guide based on our experience here are Which Drinkware. Thrift stores can also be a treasure trove for quality or unique glassware so you may want to use this guide to help pick out something local.
Beer Glassware
At the bar, at home, at the game or by the pool; beer remains a staple choice for many men and is one of the most popular drinks globally. Some beer drinkers won’t have a preference for the type of beer glassware, but there are a few types to choose from beyond a basic drinking glass.
Choosing the right beer glass can enhance the beer’s aroma, flavor, and overall experience. Different styles of beer glasses are designed to complement specific types of beer by trapping aromas, maintaining the head, and showcasing the beer’s appearance.
Pint Glass
The traditional and commonly used pint glass is suited to a wide range of beers including ales, lagers, stouts and porters.
It allows for easy drinking, showcases beer colors, and accommodates a good amount of foam. The simple shape of a pint glass makes it easy to hold, stack and clean.
The shaker pint is the simplest type with straight edged tapered shape, whilst a nonic glass features a slight bulge near the top, helping with grip and preventing glasses from sticking together when stacked.
Tulip Glass
The tulip glass features a bulbous body that tapers inwards towards the top before flaring out slightly, resembling the shape of a tulip flower. This design concentrates aromas and allows for better head retention.
A tulip shaped glass is the best for aromatic beers like Belgian ales, IPAs, and other strong ales. The stem of the glass allows you to hold it without warming the beer with your hand.
Tulip glasses come in different sizes, but I recommend these larger 15.5oz Spiegelau glasses which can accommodate both standard longneck beers as well as larger speciality beers.
Teku Glass
The Teku glass is a popular beer glassware choice that’s gained recognition among beer enthusiasts and brewers and is hailed as the best glass for any type of beer.
It’s a versatile glass designed by an Italian craft beer expert, Teo Musso, in collaboration with an Italian sensory analysis expert, Lorenzo Dabove (Kuaska). Many craft breweries offer branded limited edition Teku glasses which also make them very collectible.
The shape concentrates aromas, enhancing the beer-drinking experience. It’s slender stem allows drinkers to hold the glass without warming the beer with their hand, maintaining the beer’s optimal temperature. Some beer drinkers think a Teku is not really any better than any other Tulip shaped glass or even a red wine glass, but I do think the aesthetic is hard to beat.
There are a few drawbacks of the Teku to consider, including a higher price tag which may not suit everyone’s budget. Like other tulip shaped glasses, they are not stackable and can be fragile. The stemmed design also makes the Teku glass top heavy and prone to being knocked over. The narrow opening also makes this type of glass more difficult to clean than others, a bottle brush can come in handy (I like these silicon brushes as they can be cleaned in the dishwasher to keep them fresh).
Glasses For Liquors and Short Cocktails
Like a lot of men, if your drink of choice is a short cocktail or a straight liquor, a rocks style glass or lowball is ideal. They’re typically wide and heavy bottomed, perfect for serving drinks over ice. You can find my top picks for rocks style glasses in my article covering the best glasses for an old fashioned cocktail.
I won’t repeat the details here, but my picks include classic, modern and unique styles to suit all tastes and budgets.
Long Cocktail Glassware For Men
When it comes to serving mixed drinks and cocktails, as long as the glass is large enough to fit your drink, mixer, ice and garnish there are no rules on what is right or wrong. Aside from size, the main consideration should be sturdiness, fragile glassware isn’t best suited to large drinks with lots of ice.
Traditional highball glasses are versatile and can double up for drinking water, soda etc too. The other option is a copa or balloon glass which is popular for serving gin and tonic. Below are a few options where the styling appealed more to men on our team.
Crystal Highball
These highball glasses have classic crystal styling and exude sophistication and robustness. They are a molded crystal option rather than cut crystal which means you get the style without the high price tag. This set of 4 12oz glasses is currently available for only $25.
Norlan Highball
These black highball glasses offer something a bit different but do come with a higher price tag. If you aren’t keen on the black they are also available in a smoked grey glass or clear glass option. The inside of these glasses feature some angled indents and ridges which are intended to help with muddling your drink in the glass.
Discounts are available when purchasing multiple products from Norlan (up to 25%), and you can also receive a one time discount code by signing up to the Norlan newsletter.
Balloon Glass
Balloon glasses have a large, balloon-shaped bowl and are usually stemmed. The wide bowl allows plenty of space for ice, garnishes, and mixers, while the stem keeps the drink cool without warming it with your hands.
Typically holding 20oz or more they are ideal for a gin and tonic or any other long drink. The shape is said to enhance aromas of botanical gins.
Given their size, balloon glasses are not easily stored so I really rate these stackable glasses. Their shorter stem also makes them more sturdy than some other balloon glasses.
Gin Glass Set
This set should have you covered for gin cocktails or other long drinks, including two highballs and two balloon glasses with the addition of a useful and stylish ice bucket which could come in handy for parties.
LSA glassware is high quality handmade and the glasses in this set have nice heavy bases so they’re sturdy and will feel nice in your hand.
This set would make a really nice gift.
Wine Glasses For A Man
As with all of the glasses covered in this guide, obviously glassware is not designed exclusively for only men or women, and the same is true for wine glasses. This also applies to wine varieties themselves, and whilst red wines still appear to be the most common with men, many men do drink white wines. Reliable, up to date research on the subject isn’t available, anecdotally red wines in particular Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir are most popular for men. When it comes to choosing the right glasses I take my lead from sommeliers who suggest a Bordeaux glass is most versatile and you should drink from whatever glass you personally enjoy.
Ikea Red Wine Glasses
These wine glasses from Ikea are a great all rounder glass which I recommend if you are on a budget and only investing in one type of wine glass. They are light, feel nice to hold and are large enough to hold a decent amount of wine if you want to leave space for aeration.
Bordeaux Wine Glasses
Although these are a Bordeaux style glass they work well for most types of wine. They are tapered which helps with capturing aromas and they have additional height allowing enough oxygen to soften tannins in a red wine. The thin rim helps wine to flow smoothly from the glass and looks and feels really elegant. These mid priced Zwiesel glasses may not be as thin as some of the most expensive glassware but they come pretty close and you’re unlikely to notice any significant difference.
If these 23oz Bordeaux glasses are too big for you, the modern angular Pure range also comes in a few smaller sizes.
Burgundy Wine Glass
If you’re a Pinot Noir drinker, you’ll beneifit from a glass with a larger rounder bowl than the Bordeaux glass. These 26oz Spiegelau glasses are stunning and they tick all of the boxes for savouring your Pinot Noir, they will really showcase the fruity flavors and aromas.
If you want to limit the amount of glassware in your cabinets, a burgundy glass is very similar in shape and size to a cocktail balloon glass so you could also use these to enjoy a G&T or a long drink with lots of ice. You do need to be careful though as these are more fragile.
Wine Tasting Set
Designed for exploring different wines and figuring out your preferences, this set has 4 different glass shapes and sizes. There are 2 white wine and 2 red wine glasses allowing you to try different wines in each and see how the aromas and flavors change depending on the glass.
This set is from Riedel who are well known for making high quality glassware. The quality and brand name come with a higher price tag but this set allows you to try a variety of the glasses before purchasing a full set. The set also makes a really nice special gift for a wine lover.
Coffee Glassware
Whether its a Latte, Iced Coffee, Irish Coffee or Espresso Martini they are all best enjoyed from a glass, allowing you to see the pour and layers. I’ve included some of our favorites here which you might want to add to your glassware collection.
Double Walled Coffee Mug
Double walled glass mugs can be used for hot or cold drinks and as well as being aesthetically pleasing they are better at keeping drinks at temperature than a traditional ceramic mug (see our article about the best coffee mugs for home). These 13.5 oz JoyJolt glasses are a good option as they are large enough to hold milky coffees and they have a good sized handle which will be especially important for men.
Irish Coffee Glass
Crystal glasses from Ireland are the best choice for serving an Irish Coffee in my opinion. Waterford Crystal is the most prestigious brand known for producing high quality glassware. Their Lismore Irish Coffee glasses are beautiful and they’ll help to make your drink even more special if they are within your budget. They have a traditional hand cut pattern and handle and at 8oz they’re perfectly sized for irish coffee recipes.
Nespresso Martini Glass
The most common choice for serving espresso martinis is the classic martini glass. These martini glasses from coffee experts Nespresso have masculine styling, a good alternative to the typical V shaped martini glass you might associate with a Cosmo. Coffee experts Nespresso have done a good job on functionality and presentation with these glasses. At $25 for a pair they are an easy purchase.
