The coupe is a wide, shallow, stemmed glass, typically 5 to 7 oz, used to serve cocktails without ice ("up"). It replaced the tall Martini glass in most craft cocktail bars because the wide rim makes it easier to express a garnish over and the shallow bowl doesn't require balancing — a tall Martini glass tips. The stem keeps your hand from warming the drink. The coupe is the appropriate glass for Daiquiris, Gimlets, Sidecars, and any shaken or stirred cocktail served without ice.
Why It Matters
Glassware affects temperature and the experience of drinking. A chilled coupe keeps a drink cold. The wide bowl concentrates aromatics. The stem prevents hand-warming. These aren't aesthetic preferences — they affect how the drink tastes and how long it stays good.
Where You'll Use It
Daiquiris, Gimlets, Sidecars, Clover Clubs, Cosmopolitans, and any cocktail served up.
Worth Knowing
Nick & Nora
A Nick & Nora is a smaller, more upright stemmed glass — narrower and deeper than a coupe, typically 4 to 5 oz. It's named after the cocktail-loving characters in the Thin Man films. The narrower opening concentrates aromatics more than a coupe and it holds slightly less, making it appropriate for spirit-forward stirred cocktails like a Martini.
Martini Glass
The iconic V-shaped stemmed glass. It holds 6 to 8 oz and has a conical bowl that flares dramatically upward. Most craft cocktail bars have moved away from it in favor of the coupe — it's less stable, harder to sip without spilling, and the thin rim makes it awkward to express a garnish over.