Gin glasses

A gin glass - the balloon or copa - is a wide-bowled stemmed glass that holds ice and garnish and lets the botanicals come off the surface.

  • Fill it properly with ice - more ice melts slower, not faster
  • The wide bowl carries garnish that a highball cannot
  • The stem keeps your hand off the bowl and the drink cold

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The copa came from Spain with the gin and tonic and it caught on because the shape works. A wide bowl takes a serious quantity of ice, which melts more slowly than a small amount and keeps the drink cold without watering it down, and the open top puts the aromatics right under your nose.

Common questions

Why does a gin and tonic need a big glass?

For the ice. A copa takes enough ice to keep the drink genuinely cold, and a full glass of ice melts more slowly than a couple of cubes, so the tonic stays sharp instead of going flat and watery.

Is a copa glass the same as a balloon glass?

Yes - copa de balon is the Spanish name and balloon is the English one. Both mean the wide-bowled stemmed glass now standard for a gin and tonic.

Can I use a wine glass for gin and tonic?

You can, and a large-bowled red wine glass is close enough. A copa simply has a wider bowl and a shorter stem, which makes it steadier when it is full of ice.

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