The Best Coupe Glasses, According to Bartenders
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Nothing in the world makes me feel fancier than a coupe. Stemmed and with a wide, shallow bowl, the dainty glasses enhance the loveliness of a cocktail or a splash of sparkling wine (they’re also referred to as “Champagne saucers”). As a longtime home bartender and food-and-drinks writer, I regularly gravitate toward the coupe for martinis, sparkling wines, nonalcoholic aperitifs, and even Diet Coke. From “coupettes” to engraved statement pieces, there is surprising diversity among coupe glasses, which vary in stem length (typically between 3.5 and 4.5 inches) and bowl diameter (2.5 to 3.5 inches), glass thickness, and color.
Because coupe glasses can dress up such a wide variety of drinks, they make a smart glass choice for stocking your home bar. Lydia Friar, bar manager atStones Throwin York, Maine, recommends hitting your local thrift store or antiques boutique to start your coupe collection — “when you hold it, you [will] know.” When she got married, she collected more than 150 vintage coupes to serve guests. She looks for “a thin glass, medium length stem, and color when selecting my own vessel. You don’t need all that intricate etching to make a coupe fancy. Sometimes it’s the bold curves of a coupe that make it special.”
In addition to antique finds, there is also a wide variety of stylish, professional-quality coupes you can purchase new for your home bar. I spoke with bartenders, cocktail experts, and sommeliers about the coupe glasses they love to use and what they like to serve in them. If you’re looking for other essential barware, check out our guides to cocktailstrainersandjiggers.
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With a bowl that holds 10.25 ounces, these thin but sturdy glasses are on the larger side for a coupe, but that’s why Bernadette James, certified sommelier atStages at One WashingtonandThe Living Roomin Dover, New Hampshire, loves them so much. “There’s more room for a voluminous drink, from say, an egg or egg white,” she says. “A large glass is also nice for a normal martini because there isn’t the danger of spilling a drink where liquid is all the way to the rim.” They’re pretty but durable. “They are thin enough to feel delicate but sturdy enough not to break during normal use.”
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There’s no more glamorous place to drink from a coupe glass than theRitz Barin Paris, and head bartender Romain de Courcy loves these elegant, sculptural coupes from Nude, which have slightly weighted bottoms. “I would use those for any short drink served up from a martini or a Manhattan to a daiquiri or an Aviation,” he says. “Just make sure to put them in the freezer for at least ten minutes before use so they keep the cocktail chilled when you pour it in.” Zeynep Özgüvenç, head bartender atConrad Istanbul Bosphorus, likes Nude coupes in part because they’re designed by renowned bartender Rémy Savage and “exemplify his modern and minimalist aesthetic.”
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AtBobby Nashville, head bartender and general manager Jodi Zuber likes retro-feeling coupes with lots of character, and these fun, stumpy little ones fit the bill. “I love the charm of vintage glassware collected from thrift stores, with each piece telling its own story,” says Zuber. “For those seeking that nostalgic feel on a thrift store budget, Godinger offers vintage-inspired, lead-free designs that are extremely durable.” The brand’s Champagne coupe is dishwasher-safe and quite sturdy. Zuber’s favorite cocktail to drink out of it is a Bourbon sour.
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For a more slender, daintier coupe, these coupetini glasses from Nude are a bartender favorite. “A great coupe glass, in my opinion, is versatile and not too thick or bulky,” says Zana Möhlmann, bartender at Manhattan Bar in Conrad Singapore Orchard. “The ‘coupetini’ is a perfect example — it can elegantly hold a shaken daisy cocktail as well as a stirred down, spirit-forward drink like a martini or Manhattan.” Möhlmann feels that the thin rim of these glasses enhances the drinking experience. Cody Pruitt, owner of the French bistroLibertinein New York City, is also a fan of these coupetinis because they blend “the classic archetypal V-shaped martini glass and a softer coupe style,” he says. “I don’t love overly rounded, thick-lipped coupes, and I also try to avoid the top-heavy ones that are more appropriate for serving dessert than cocktails. It’s beautiful on the table, lovely to drink out of, and looks much more precious than it actually is.”
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Not all coupes are meant to be sleek, and these textured, gold-rimmed coupes are a playful vessel for cocktails. AtThe Davenport Lounge, located inside the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, bartender Brittany DeBlois loves to use vintage-inspired coupes for both Champagne and cocktails, and she serves Paper Planes in these cute Art Deco-style glasses “because the orange color of the drink looks fantastic in a gold-rimmed glass.”
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Riedel Veritas Coupe Glasses
Daniel Padberg, director of food and beverage atThe Americanoin Atlanta, loves these delicate, lightweight coupe glasses for their “elegance and simplicity.” Holding 8.47 fluid ounces, the sleek crystal coupes “work great for classics, like a vesper and gin martini,” says Padberg, and make a sophisticated vessel for Champagne.
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Some coupe glasses evoke chalices, and these ornately patterned options are maximalist fun. AtBrassica, located inside the Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead, Cara McInerney uses many glasses from the Bormioli Rocco 1920s line — including the fizz and sour glasses — but loves these coupes for martinis and mimosas. “The coupe has a lovely scalloping that just shines in our moody, inviting lighting,” she says. With a cool Art Deco look and extra thin rims, these coupes lend themselves perfectly to the ever-popular espresso martini.
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These sparkling, dazzling crystal glasses have a chic angular design. AtWinona’sin Brooklyn, owner Cressida Greening uses a number of glasses from Zwiesel, but loves this coupe glass the best because “it is the perfect blend of elegance and durability and makes our cocktails look and taste amazing,” she says. Greening serves the restaurant’s Passion Sour, a take on the pisco sour, out of the glass. “We use Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur for an exotic twist and this glass is the perfect vessel for those aromas to sing,” she says.
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Home bartenders should prioritize glassware that is dishwasher-safe and break-resistant.Little Dipperbeverage directorAlyssa Sartorloves these distinctively etched coupe glasses because they are both of those things, all while still having “the classic, clean look that you’d find in any professional bar setting,” she says. “My go-to drink to serve in this type of glass would be any version of a sour.” The entire Crafthouse by Fortessa barware line is designed by World Champion bartender Charles Joly.
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