Evidence of ancient drinking vessels has been found dating back millennia, long before the dawn of recorded human history. But we’ve come a long way from clay jugs and Viking mead horns. Today, drinkware is an industry in itself, with iconic silhouettes affiliated with specific beverages easily identified by even the staunchest teetotalers. Martini glasses, frosted mugs, delicate coupes—each one has a story and place in today’s drinks culture. Some are utilitarian, others unabashedly kooky. Here are 12 of the most iconic.
Coupe
Is it really shaped like a boob? Marie Antoinette experts say no. Regardless, it’s a very sexy glass for cocktails and arguably more chic than a flute for sipping Champagne.
Martini Glass
Is there a more seminal glass shape? And is there a more annoying glass to drink out of? The answer to both is no. Have fun spilling half of your overpriced cocktail.
Tulip
Basically a fat flute. Tulip glasses are most often used for Belgian or malt-forward beer styles—anything with a thick, foamy head and lingering aromatics will thrive.
Fishbowl
For when you feel the need to use two hands to hold one gigantically stupid, bright blue cocktail (Disclaimer: Please do not put actual fish in this.)
Snifter
A cute, miniature glass for sniffing, sloshing, and sipping fancy liquors like bourbon and brandy. Plus, snifter is a fun word to say.
Tiki Mug
Ignoring the problematic and appropriative nature of contemporary tiki culture, does anyone else think it’s a bit macabre to drink out of a head? Anyone?
Margarita Glass
A staple of suburban strip-mall Mexican restaurants everywhere, where sugary frozen margaritas are as ubiquitous as ground beef tacos with shredded American cheese.
Das Boot
Called bierstiefel in German, shoe-shaped drinkware actually has a weirdly old (and possibly English) origin story, dating all the way back to medieval Europe. Rotate the glass while you chug from it to avoid the dreaded air bubble.
Hurricane
Named after similarly curvaceous hurricane oil lamps, this sturdy glass is best known as a vessel for hurricane cocktails, a rum concoction invented by New Orleans bar owner Pat O’Brien in the 1940s.
Porrón
Used as a wine pitcher in Catalan, Spain, porróns allow people to drink from the same spout without touching anyone’s mouth. Really, it’s just a fun way to watch your friends spill on themselves.
Nick and Nora
Named for fictional detectives Nick and Nora Charles by bartender Dale DeGroff of NYC’s Rainbow Room, this diminutive chalice is a much more refined alternative to sloshy martini glasses.
Copper Mug
In 1941, Russian immigrant (and copper-mug maker) Sophie Berezinski collaborated with Smirnoff owner
John Martin and Hollywood’s Cock ’n’ Bull Pub to invent the Moscow mule.
