We aren’t overly fussy about glassware. We’ve been known to drink martinis from wine glasses and highballs from Mason jars. But we also love how beautiful glassware makes a cocktail sparkle. Don’t have more than a paltry selection of mugs? Don’t spend a fortune. Hit your local second hand shop and see what you can find. If you do have some options, here are some suggestions for what cocktail goes where:

CollinsGlass-1The Collins glass: Tall and thin, this glass was named following its use in a Tom Collins. It can be used for a lots of different tall mixed drinks, of course, like the Caesar or the Tung Ting Fizz. We use it interchangeably with the high-ball glass. We’re crazy like that.

Coupe-1The Coupe glass: Was it created in the form of Marie Antoinette’s left breast? We don’t know. But we do know that it’s a lovely vessel for bubbly cocktails. It can also be very successfully used as a less tippy martini glass, as we do for the Vancouver Cocktail and the Clover Club.

Flute-1The Flute: Another bubbly glass, of course, the flute shows off and retains the bubbles in your fizzy cocktail, whether that be your French 75, your DV15 or some other deliciousness.

Martini-1The Martini glass: Also called a cocktail glass, it’s simply a classic. Holding the stem keeps your cocktail cool, while the wide bowl makes sure the delicious aroma of your cocktail hits you head on. Use it for an Oaken Martinez or a Lenora.

Rocks-2Rocks Glass: “Rocks” is the clue here. Shorter drinks that use and/or are built on ice call for a rocks, low-ball, or Old-Fashioned glass – drinks like the Old Fashioned of course, or the Olde Vic.

Mule-1The Mule Mug: Perhaps no drink is more attached to a particular style of drinking vessel than the Moscow Mule and the copper mug. When in doubt, use your camping mug. And we call ours the Victoria Mule, so you can use any mug you like.

StemlessWine-1Stemless wine glass: Versatile and elegant, we put all sorts of things in a stemless wineglass, like the Butchart Garden or the Spring Thaw.