3 Expert Tips To Choose Drinkware & Barware

Jessica Zernike | Jul 27, 2020

It's always good to have the right drinkware & barware at hand. After all, no great story ever started with a glass of milk, right? And, even if it did, you'd still need a glass for it! From your morning juice to a fancy whiskey after dinner and everything in between, choosing drinkware & barware that match your habits will allow you to be prepared for any beverage or party.

But which glasses to buy? And how many do you actually need? Let us help you make the right choice with our expert tips. Cheers!

What types of drinkware and barware are there to choose from?

If you can think of a drink, there's probably a specific glass for it out there! However, choosing drinkware & barware for your home is a balance between having a few different types of glasses and… not taking over your cupboards.

Here are the most popular glass types:

An everyday glassware set is for water, juice and other soft drinks. Because it involves the glasses that you'll use the most, it must feel comfortable to hold, be durable, preferably dishwasher-safe, and easy to store. These glasses are usually tumbler-style and follow a simple design, although quirky glass mason jars have risen to popularity over the past few years;

A stemware set includes glasses for wine, and can either be purchased as an all-purpose set or as one that includes specific glasses for each type of wine;
There are many different types of glasses for liqueurs and spirits. The most versatile are short-stemmed liqueur glasses with a rounded body, tumbler glasses for a drink on-the-rocks or a small cocktail, thicker shot glasses, and taller highball glasses for mixers and larger cocktails;

Stainless Steel Stemware Set in Rose Gold

There are also individual cocktail glasses for specific types. The most popular are the iconic Martini glass with a long stem and a wide mouth, bowl-shaped Gin balloons, the Margarita glass with a wide rim for salt, and the more versatile Hurricane glass that, with a long curved bowl and a short stem, is perfect for piña coladas as well as many other cocktails;

As for beer glasses, you can choose among the traditional bar-style pint glass, a slimmer pilsner glass if you mainly drink lagers, a continental glass with a larger bulbous body for craft beers, or the bigger, classic tankard glass with a handle.

How many items of drinkware should I buy?

Unless you've created a huge bar area in your home and are passionate about crafting different cocktails or impressing your guests with the right glass for any drink, be realistic!

Consider your drinking habits, household size, regular guests and storage space:

Everyday glassware sets usually include between 4 and 16 glasses. Because you can use them for more than one drink at the time (e.g. water and juice), you should have more than one per person and a few spare glasses for guests, or else you'll find yourself always having to wash them;
When it comes to wine, the most space-optimizing option is to get an all-purpose stemware set, and you should definitely take guests into account. However, if you're truly passionate about wine, consider having larger red wine glasses that allow their bolder flavor to emerge, smaller bowls for white and rosé as they maintain a cooler temperature and their floral aromas, and tall flutes for champagne and prosecco, which preserve the bubbles;
If you're after a versatile solution to save space, you could go for tumblers or highball glasses, that can be used both as an everyday item or to serve cocktails, spirits and mixers;
If you are planning on organizing some Gatsby-style parties, then you should look at sets of 12 or more;
As a minimum, have double the number of people in your household when it comes to everyday glasses, four for wine, and 2-4 glasses for the drinks that you enjoy more often.

What is the best material for drinkware & barware?

Soda-lime glass is the best choice for your everyday glassware: it's affordable, available in a variety of colors and styles, and is usually dishwasher-safe;
Obviously, any type of glass is relatively fragile and will probably break if dropped. If you have young kids and value durability above everything else, you could consider plastic for your everyday glassware set;
If you want a more durable alternative to glass but still want a glass-looking effect, check out silicone glasses;
Delicate crystal is a heavier and more sophisticated choice, especially when it comes to stemware; make sure you hand wash them carefully;
They're much less popular, but choosing drinkware & barware made of stainless steel or copper is another durable option that could work particularly well with your décor, especially if you're going for modern or industrial styles.