Which Glasses Do You Actually Need? A Host's Guide to a Properly Stocked Bar
A well-stocked bar doesn’t need every glass shape on the shelf. In fact, a complete set of six useful glasses beats two of every specialised shape gathering dust in the cupboard.
The key is choosing the type of glassware you'll actually use when people come over. For most hosts, a good starting point is six everyday glasses and six all-purpose wine glasses. If sparkles regularly make an appearance, add six champagne glasses. That gives you enough matching glassware for a typical dinner party without filling the cupboard with specialist sets you may rarely use.
This guide will help you decide which glasses are worth investing in properly and which are fine to skip for now. Browse the Dining & Entertaining Drinkware collection as you go.
Everyday Glasses (Tumblers & Highballs)
Every home needs a set of everyday glasses, and you can usually cover most drinks with either tumblers or highballs. Tumblers suit short drinks and everyday pours, whereas highballs give you more room for ice, mixers and anything you feel like serving tall.
For most households, these beverage glass types will cover the basics:
- Tumblers: Short, versatile and easy to store. Best for water, juice, soft drinks and shorter mixed drinks. If you want an everyday glass that moves between the kitchen bench and the dinner table, start here.
- Highball glasses: Taller with more room for ice, mixers and long drinks such as a gin and tonic. Choose these if your household reaches for sparkling water, soft drinks, or long mixed drinks regularly.
- Old fashioned or rocks glasses: Short, wide and sturdy. These are great for spirits over ice and short cocktails. They’re worth having when those drinks are part of your usual hosting repertoire.
Our pick: If you’re starting from scratch, a set of six tumblers will cover more everyday occasions than a cupboard full of specialist shapes. Add highballs if you regularly serve long drinks, and leave rocks glasses until you have a real reason to use them.
Save or Splurge
Save: Tempered glass
Best for daily use, outdoor dining and households with kids. Tempered glass offers greater everyday durability.
Splurge: Crystal
Best for dinner parties and more formal entertaining. Crystal gives everyday drinkware a more refined look and feel.
Wine Glasses
One good all-purpose wine glass covers most hosting. A dedicated red-and-white pair is worth it once wine becomes a regular part of entertaining.
The main types of glassware for wine differ in bowl size and shape, which can affect how much air reaches the wine and how its aromas are concentrated.
- All-purpose wine glasses: A versatile middle ground when you don't want separate sets for every wine. Best for casual hosts who serve a mix of reds and whites and want one glass that can handle both.
- Red wine glasses: Typically have a larger, rounder bowl that gives the wine more room to breathe. Best for households where red wine is a frequent pour.
- White wine glasses: Usually have a smaller, narrower bowl, helping the wine stay cooler while concentrating more delicate aromas. Best for households that favour white wine.
- Stemless wine glasses: More casual and less prone to tipping, although holding the bowl can warm the wine more quickly. Best for relaxed entertaining and outdoor dining.
Our pick: Six all-purpose wine glasses will cover most dinner parties nicely. If you regularly serve both red and white wine, separate sets are worth considering mainly for bowl shape and how each wine is served. For outdoor entertaining, stemless glasses are a fantastic casual option.
Save or Splurge
Save: One versatile, mid-tier wine glass
Best for casual hosting or a collection still taking shape. Covers most pours without filling the cupboard.
Splurge: Separate crystal red and white wine glasses
Best for regular wine drinkers and dinner party hosts. Greater clarity lets you see the wine more clearly, and a finer rim creates a less intrusive drinking edge.
Champagne Glasses
A flute makes the moment feel like an occasion, while stemless is the easier choice for serving sparkling casually. Among the different kinds of glassware available for sparkling wine, you only need the shape that matches how often you serve it and how formal those occasions tend to be.
- Champagne flutes: Tall and narrow, helping preserve bubbles by reducing the surface area exposed to air. Best for celebrations, dinner parties and anyone who often serves Champagne, Prosecco or other sparkling wines.
- Stemless glasses: Easier to store and less vulnerable to stem breakage. Best for casual gatherings and households happy to serve sparkling from a versatile stemless shape.
- Tulip-style glasses: Wider through the bowl before narrowing at the rim, giving aromas more room to develop while still helping retain bubbles. Best for sparkling wine enthusiasts who want more room for the wine's aromas to develop.
Our pick: If sparkling only comes out for birthdays, Christmas and the occasional toast, your everyday wine glasses won’t really hit the mark. For regular Prosecco or Champagne pourers, six flutes are a worthwhile addition. Go for stemless when easy storage and relaxed entertaining matter more than the traditional look.
Save or Splurge
Save: A practical stemless set
Best for occasional sparkling and casual gatherings. Easier to store and less prone to stem breakage.
Splurge: Fine crystal flutes
Best for regular celebrations and more formal entertaining. Fine crystal combines a lighter feel with the presentation you'd expect for more formal occasions.
Nice to Have (Not Necessary)
Some beverage glass types are worth adding only when they match what you tend to drink or serve. If they don't, you can comfortably skip them and put the cupboard space towards glassware you'll use more often.
- Dedicated beer glasses: Add these if beer is a frequent pour; otherwise, a good everyday tumbler or highball will do the job.
- Port or dessert wine glasses: Useful if you regularly serve port or dessert wine, but unnecessary for most dinner parties.
- Single-varietal wine glasses: Bordeaux, Burgundy and other varietal-specific shapes make more sense once you know your wines well enough to appreciate the distinction.
- Cocktail-specific or novelty glasses: Martini, margarita, spritz and other specialist shapes earn their place if you make that drink often enough to justify the cupboard space.
Our pick: We suggest holding off on specialist glasses until you actually need them. If beer, port or a particular cocktail regularly features when you host, the correct glass is a nice addition. If not, your everyday glasses will handle the occasional pour just fine!
What Your Glassware Collection Actually Needs
A properly stocked cupboard isn't one filled with every glass shape available. It's one with enough of the right glasses to serve your guests without scrambling for mismatched extras halfway through dinner.
Start with a complete set of everyday glasses, then add wine or champagne glasses according to what you actually serve. Specialist shapes can wait until you make a drink often enough to need them.
Ready to fill the gaps? Browse the Dining & Entertaining Drinkware collection to find the glasses your cupboard is missing.
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