There are a lot of glasses out there to go with the many alcoholic beverages available. If you’re the kind of person who is happy to drink your G&T out of a mug, this guide probably isn’t for you. But if you want to know what exactly goes into a highball and what’s the best glass for your whisky sour, then keep reading our guide to the most common glasses and which drinks they suit best.

1. Balloon

Though once primarily used for Scotch, Balloon glasses have gradually grown, along with the ever-lengthening stem, more popular in bars and at parties. The large goldfish-bowl shape is usually seen with a longer stem and filled with a gin and tonic. The shape is perfect for keeping the botanical flavours trapped and for keeping ice cool so it melts much more slowly.

2. Champagne Flute

The clue is in the name: this glass is made for parties and formal evenings where you’re drinking delicious Champagne. Tall and elegant, with a narrow stem, the design helps keep sparkling drinks fizzing.

3. Collins

Like a highball but taller and narrower, pour its namesake – the Tom Collins – into this glass. It’s also a popular option for other long drinks such as a Long Island iced tea and mojitos.

4. Coupe

Coupe glasses are a little bit retro and will add a touch of glamour to any drinking experience. They’re shallow and top heavy with a very flat rounded bowl. Match the vintage look with vintage cocktails like sidecars and Manhattans.

5. Highball

If in doubt about which glass to use, pick a highball – there’s a good chance you’ve made the right choice! That’s because the tall, narrow highball glass is good for lots of different alcoholic drinks. They’re particularly used when drinks have a large mixer-to-alcohol ratio, and when poured over ice like gin and tonics and Long Island iced teas.

6. Hurricane

The funky, familiar shape of the hurricane glass is another popular option for cocktails. The curved lines look just like a hurricane lamp – hence the name. You’ll often find these drinks used for colourful cocktails like piña coladas and Singapore slings.

7. Liqueur

If you’ve got a sweet tooth and enjoy your liqueurs, then you’ll want a dedicated liqueur glass. These types of alcoholic beverages are best served in small quantities, so the glass is often quite dainty, with a small bowl, flared rim and long stem.

8. Lowball

Short and wide, the lowball glass is a tumbler that also goes by a number of other names including rocks, old-fashioned, or whisky glass. So, as you might expect, this is a good choice if you’re drinking whisky straight or on the rocks.

9. Martini

A martini glass is a classic cocktail glass. It has a distinctive triangular shape and is – for obvious reasons – most commonly associated with martinis. However, it can also be used for any kind of sophisticated cocktail like cosmopolitans and gimlets.

10. Nosing

Similar to a tulip glass, but considerably smaller, a nosing glass is specifically designed to make the most of the aroma and flavour of a drink. They’re most often used for sampling whisky, when even a small serving holds a complex variety of tastes and scents.

11. Port Wine

Wine has its own host of different glasses to choose from, depending on colour, grape, and the way it’s made. For port you’ll want a smaller serving than with other wines, so the glasses are made to match. They’re small and bulbous, with a narrow rim.

12. Red Wine

Red wine glasses are generally larger to allow more oxygen flow, which lets the wine breathe and releases the aromas and flavours.

13. Rose Wine

Rose wine glasses are often diamond shaped, sometimes with a slight outward lip at the top. A narrower bowl and taller stem help keep the drink cool and to emphasise the delicate flavours.

14. Sherry

Like port, sherry is a fortified wine, so it has a higher alcohol content and therefore comes in small servings. Sherry glasses are similar to port glasses, but are generally taller and narrower.

15. Shooter

Like shot glasses, shooters are designed so you can take your drink quickly. However, they’re a bit larger than shot glasses, so are better for miniature cocktail shots such as rum runners and tequila tornadoes.

16. Shot

Popular amongst university students, a shot glass is used for small shots (or doubles) of straight spirits, usually in one quick gulp. Because they’re designed for quick use, shot glasses don’t need anything like a stem to protect the flavour of the drink.

17. Snifter

Designed, and almost exclusively used, for brandy, snifters are short-stemmed and have a wide bowl and a reasonably narrow top. This shape makes them good for swirling and trapping aromas. They are also occasionally used for other brown spirits like whisky and bourbon.

18. Tulip

Although sometimes referred to as a wine glass, the tulip is actually most usually associated with Belgian beers. It’s short and tulip-shaped with a wide stem and looks somewhat similar to a hurricane glass. Perfect for aromatic beers.

19. White Wine

Yet another wine glass! Because of the lighter aromas and flavours, white wine needs to be closer to your nose for you to fully appreciate the drink. That’s why you’ll find these glasses are generally smaller than their cousins, the reds.

20. Wobble

An update on a typical brandy glass, wobble glasses are modern and a little bit quirky. As you might guess from their name, they need some careful handling, but well-designed wobbles won’t be so easy to overturn. Like a snifter, use these for brown spirits.