Alternatively, you could get a double rocks glass, which despite its name doesn’t mean it has twice the capacity as a single rocks glass. It hovers more between 10 to 14 ounces and is best reserved for drinks with large garnishes or served over copious amounts of ice. Perez says she likes that these drinking glasses have a “great weight to them,” and she’s been known to get compliments on the decorative facets of the glassware whenever she shares her favorite whiskey drinks. And since these are dishwasher-safe, you can spend more time drinking with friends and less time worrying about cleaning up.
Alternatively, Steve Yeng, co-founder of Skrewball Whiskey, likes the more pricey Riedel rocks glasses, which he calls “durable and versatile.” Yeng’s pick also happen to be made in collaboration with spirits specialist and glassware designer Zane Harris to excel at serving seven classic whiskey cocktails, which includes the likes of the old fashioned, Manhattan, daiquiri, and sour.
The Best Whiskey Glass for Pro Tasters: Glencairn Copita
An alternative to the Glencairn’s namesake glassware is the brand’s Copita, which Barrett Stapleton—master micro distiller at Method and Madness—likes to use when it comes to blending and distilling. It has a long stem to prevent you from holding the bowl to warm the whiskey, and it’s the best for nosing spirits.
While Ken Pierce, master distiller at Heaven’s Door, is more oft to use a brandy snifter for work tastings, he is a fan of a glass cover, which is included with the Copita. The lid helps to retain the whiskey’s aromas concentrated when you’re not actively tasting it so that when you finally go in for a nosing, you’re getting the full effect of the liquid’s aromas. It’s also why Sandy Hyslop, director of blending and inventory at Chivas Brothers, prefers the Copita for “picking up all the nuances in the whisky.”
Now, while the Glencairn and the offshoot Copita are great for drinking whiskey neat, that’s pretty much all it’s good for because of its size, so if you prefer some ice cubes or would rather drink some cocktails, you’ll want to stock up on some other options, as well.
The Best Whiskey Glass for Shots: Williams Sonoma Dorset Shot Glass
OK, so you care less about the ritual of drinking whiskey and just want to get that BAC up. An elevated shot glass will make you feel more like an adult and less like you’re a stressed-out college senior. Brittany Yeng, co-founder of Skrewball Whiskey, is a fan of the Dorset shot glasses from Williams Sonoma, which she calls “sophisticated, festive-looking.” These glasses feature a nice hefty base that feels more substantial in the hand than the ubiquitous shooters you’ll see at every dive bar, and the hand-cut fluting elevates the drinkware even more. And just because these are categorized as shot glasses, doesn’t mean you can’t sip your whiskey from them instead. Unfortunately the brand doesn’t recommend you put these in the dishwasher, but they’re so small, it’s not that hard to hand wash them.
The Most Versatile Whiskey Glass: Rolf Bourbon Street Rocks Glass
If you feel like buying glassware just for drinking whiskey feels elitist, then you could buy something that’s good for more than consuming the brown stuff. Rolf’s double old fashioned glasses, which as we mentioned before holds anywhere between 10 to 14 ounces, is great for enjoying alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages alike. Kaveh Zamanian, founder of Rabbit Hole Distillery, says “The [Bourbon Street Rocks Glass] marries a traditional look with a touch of modern craftsmanship for an elevated classic design.” The glasses feature a crisscross design, which is more than just a design feature as the lines are able to capture the light to enhance the brilliance of the liquid inside. And as Zamanian explains, “The weight and feel in hand, along with the way it presents the whiskey, enrich the overall tasting experience.”
The Best Whiskey Glass for Sipping: Tuath
As an alternative to the Glencairn, Stapleton recommends the Tuath, a staple piece of glassware when it comes to drinking Irish whiskey. The glass has a similar tulip shape to the Glencairn, but adds a delicate, intricately designed stem, which is meant to evoke the coastline of Ireland. Country pride aside, the stem helps the drinker swirl the whiskey, and it provides a stable place to hold the glass without warming up the spirit. Another difference between the Tuath and the Glencairn is that the former features a flared lip, which Stapleton finds to be “more comfortable to put your nose up to the glass.” Meanwhile, a Glencairn makes it feel like you’re putting your nose into a tiny straw.
The Best Double-Walled Whiskey Glass: Norlan Whisky Glass
Drinkware enthusiasts are fans of double-walled containers because they help to keep the beverage inside insulated, which means your drinks stay at their desired temperature for longer. This style of glassware also keeps the outside of the container cool to the touch, great for when you’re drinking a super-hot beverage. When it comes to double-walled whiskey glasses, the Norlan is one of the best. Its construction is meant to help emphasize a whiskey’s aromas, while letting the ethanol—or the fumes that cause that burning sensation in your nose—dissipate. Since there’s no stem to hold the glass, you’re forced to grasp the whole glass, which typically would cause your whiskey to warm up, but that’s not the case thanks to the double wall. And if you add some ice into your whiskey, it’ll melt more slowly so you’re not left with a diluted mess.
The Best Whiskey Glass for Drinking on the Rocks: Marquis by Waterford Markham Double Old Fashion Glass (4-Pack)
There’s nothing wrong with drinking your whiskey with ice, which is sometimes encouraged to help unlock the full potential of the whiskey. A few drops of water mixed into the stuff opens up its flavors and aromas, while reducing the ABV and lessening the overall harshness, or burn, of the spirit. Hyslop recommends you use large pieces of ice so it dilutes the juice slowly, whereas small ice pieces will quickly overpower the whiskey. You can’t put ice into a Glencairn (though you can add droplets of water), so if you prefer your brown liquors on the rocks, you’ll want to opt for these Marquis by Waterford glasses, which are “not too large in size as you don’t want the whisky to get lost,” explains Hyslop. The glasses’ intricately designed exterior add a little extra design appeal for the coffee or dining table, but do note that the brand recommends you wash these glasses by hand only.
The Best Giftable Whiskey Glass: Neat Glass
What do you get the whiskey connoisseur in your life? We’ll let you know right now that they probably hate whiskey stones (and have a hoard of them that they’re dying to re-gift), and don’t even try to get them a bottle because, well, they know more than you do. Neat Glass is one of these IYKYK brands, mainly because you rarely see them outside of whiskey tasting competitions. These glasses were specially designed, after years of research, to change the molecular behavior of alcohol—a fancy way of saying this glass helps to maximize aroma and flavor and minimize the burn of ethanol.
The brand recommends you smell from the center of the glass for a whiskey’s main scents and along the rim for the more delicate notes. That’s all to say, this might mean absolutely nothing to someone who doesn’t know that scotch and whisky are the same thing, but is an absolutely geeky facet of drinking whiskey that your booze-loving friend is totally into.
The Best Novelty Whiskey Glass: Whiskey Peaks Grand Canyon
When it comes to Whiskey Peaks, drinking your booze on the rocks means a little different. Each hand-blown glass features the raised mountain range of a variety of peaks across the globe, from Kilimanjaro to Mt. Rainier. The lead-free borosilicate glass makes it durable and resistant to quick chips during heavy dish-washing duties, while its 11.5-ounce capacity means you can drink your booze neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a nifty cocktail.
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