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Coupe Glasses
The coupe is the glass for drinks served up — shaken or stirred cocktails that are served cold with no ice in the glass itself. Its wide, shallow bowl allows the aroma to bloom before the first sip, which is part of how a drink communicates with you before you taste it. It's elegant without being fussy.
Why it earns its place
Glassware shapes how you experience a drink — literally. A wide bowl concentrates and releases aroma. A stemmed glass keeps your hand from warming the drink. The coupe is the right vessel for classics like the Daiquiri, the Sidecar, and any AF Cocktail you want to serve with intention.
When I reach for it
Daiquiris, shaken sours, stirred cocktails served without ice, anything where you want the drink to feel dressed up.
Where people usually go wrong
Overfilling. A coupe should be two-thirds full at most — it's not a wide vessel and overfilling causes spills and warms the drink too quickly.
"I like to use a simple, undecorated coupe because the clarity of the glass shows off the drink's color and the stem keeps fingerprints off."
If you're only going to buy one
Libbey Paneled Coupe Glasses
Clean, unadorned, properly weighted. A set of four handles most hosting situations.
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Questions I hear a lot
What drinks are served in a coupe glass?
Coupes are for drinks served up — shaken or stirred and poured without ice into a chilled glass. Daiquiris, Whiskey Sours (the classic presentation), Sidecars, and any spirit-forward stirred AF cocktail you want to serve cold and elegant. The coupe is the right choice whenever the drink has no ice in the serving glass.
What's the difference between a coupe and a martini glass?
Both are stemmed glasses for up-style drinks, but the coupe has a rounded, shallow bowl that concentrates aromas more gently. The martini glass has a wide, triangular bowl that releases aromatics more aggressively and is more prone to spilling. The coupe is the more practical and forgiving vessel — it's better for most AF Cocktails that would otherwise go in a martini glass.
What should I look for when buying coupe glasses?
Clarity of glass (you want to see the drink's color), a stem long enough to keep your hand from warming the bowl, and a size in the 5-6 oz range for most cocktail applications. Avoid very large coupes — they require overfilling to look right, which warms the drink too quickly. A set of four undecorated coupes handles most home hosting situations.