Margarita glasses

A margarita glass is a stemmed glass with a wide, stepped bowl, typically 250ml to 350ml. The broad rim takes a salt crust easily, and the shape holds frozen margaritas as well as ones served on the rocks.

  • Margarita glasses typically hold between 250ml and 350ml
  • The wide rim is shaped to hold a salt or sugar crust
  • Suits frozen margaritas and drinks served over ice
  • Rinse salt off promptly, and hand-wash finer stems

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Showing all 10 results

The margarita glass is easy to spot: a stemmed glass with a broad, shallow upper bowl that steps down sharply to a narrower lower section, a shape sometimes described as a stepped or tiered bowl. Most hold 250ml to 350ml. The wide rim is the point of the design, giving you a generous flat edge to run a lime wedge around and dip into salt.nnHow you serve the drink decides how much of that capacity you need. A frozen margarita is mostly blended ice and fills the bowl quickly, while one served on the rocks needs room for cubes alongside the liquid. Some people skip the shape altogether and use a coupe, which salts almost as well and is far easier to store.

Which type do you need?

Margarita glasses vary in capacity and in how pronounced the stepped bowl is, and one common alternative does much the same job.

TypeBest forWorth knowing
Classic stepped margarita glass, 250ml to 350ml The recognisable serve, salted, frozen or on the rocks The wide bowl is awkward to store and takes up shelf space
Large frozen margarita glass, 400ml and up Blended drinks with a generous amount of crushed ice A big frozen drink turns watery before most people finish it
Coupette or small margarita glass Shorter, stronger serves without the oversized bowl Not enough room for a full frozen margarita with ice
Coupe as an alternative Anyone who wants one glass for margaritas and other cocktails Fine for a salted rim, but too small for a frozen serve

How to choose

How do you salt the rim of a margarita glass?

Pour a shallow layer of coarse salt onto a small plate. Cut a lime wedge, run the cut side around the outside of the rim only, then hold the glass at an angle and roll the outer edge through the salt while turning it. Keeping the salt on the outside stops it falling into the drink and turning the whole thing briny. Chill the glass first if you can, and salt only half the rim if you want the option of a clean sip. Coarse or flaked salt sticks better than fine table salt.

Frozen or on the rocks: does the glass matter?

It changes what size you need. A frozen margarita is mostly blended ice, so it fills a bowl fast and needs 300ml or more to look right without spilling over the wide rim. On the rocks, the drink is roughly 150ml of liquid plus cubes, which sits comfortably in a 250ml to 300ml glass. Straight up, with no ice at all, the drink is smaller again and a large stepped bowl looks half empty, which is one reason a coupe often suits that serve better.

Do you need margarita glasses, or will a coupe do?

For margaritas served up or on the rocks, a coupe or a rocks glass handles it perfectly well, and both salt just as easily since the rim is what matters, not the bowl below it. Dedicated margarita glasses earn their place if you make frozen margaritas, where the volume of blended ice genuinely needs the extra capacity, or if you like the recognisable look for guests. They are bulky to store, so think about cupboard space before buying a set of six.

Common questions

How much does a margarita glass hold?

Most hold 250ml to 350ml to the brim, with larger frozen-serve versions running to 400ml or more. The drink itself is smaller: a margarita on the rocks is around 150ml of liquid before ice. The extra capacity is there for cubes or blended ice, and to stop the drink washing over that wide rim.

How do you rim a glass with salt?

Run a cut lime wedge around the outside of the rim, then roll the outer edge through coarse salt spread on a plate, turning the glass as you go. Salting the outside only keeps it out of the drink. Flaked or coarse salt holds better than fine table salt, and a chilled glass helps it stick.

Can you serve a margarita in a rocks glass?

Yes, and plenty of bars do, particularly for margaritas served on the rocks with a large cube. The rim salts exactly the same way and the heavier base is more stable on a table. The only serve a rocks glass cannot really handle is a full frozen margarita, which needs the volume of a proper margarita glass.

What is the stepped shape of a margarita glass for?

It gives a wide, flat rim for salting while keeping the drink itself concentrated in the narrower section below, so a modest pour still looks full. The step also gives you somewhere to hold the glass above the stem. Practically speaking it is as much a recognisable design as a functional one.

Are margarita glasses dishwasher safe?

Thicker pressed-glass versions usually are, but the wide bowl means they take up a lot of basket space and knock into other items easily. Rinse salt and lime juice off soon after use, since dried salt is abrasive and can dull the rim over time. Finer stemmed versions are safer washed and dried by hand.

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