In the food and beverage industry, a wide variety of glass types are used every day depending on the beverages to be served. This diversity is expressed through different shapes and heights of glasses and tumblers, catering to specific functions such as heating or cooling the liquid.
In this comprehensive guide to the different types of glassware used in catering, Araven helps you make the right choices according to your needs.
Guide to the Different Types of Glassware: What is Each Type Used For?
Did you know that there are many types of glasses and tumblers in catering? Most of them are made of glass.
However, there are alternatives such as polycarbonate glasses that we offer at Araven. These glasses help reduce environmental impact and limit waste, thus contributing to the protection of the planet.
Here are the types of glassware you absolutely must have in your food and beverage business:
- Stemmed Water Glass: This is one of the largest types of glasses. They are slightly bulged, which distinguishes them from others.
- Champagne Glass: These glasses are used for champagne, cava, or sparkling wines. Their elongated shape is designed to preserve the carbonation of the drink. They are thin, delicate glasses with a long stem that makes them easier to hold. They hold between 175 and 295 ml. Here is an example of a champagne glass available at Araven.
- Martini Glass: This is the glass for the famous Martini drink and its various versions: mixed without ice, but often garnished with olives. It is James Bond’s favorite glass. It is characterized by a triangular shape and a thin stem. It can hold between 115 and 295 ml.
- Margarita Glass: This is one of the most famous and recognizable cocktail glasses types. Its name comes from the famous Margarita cocktail, but it can also be used for other drinks like daiquiris. With its very attractive design, it has a capacity of 205 to 350 ml.
- Brandy Glass: Also known as a cognac glass, it has a short and wide stem because it is designed to be held in the palm of the hand, allowing the content to be warmed. Its capacity ranges from 150 to 600 ml.
- Pastis Glass: Its balloon shape is very similar to the cognac glass, but its size is different. They are smaller.
- Balloon Glass: This is an alternative to highball glasses. Balloon glasses are used to serve mixed drinks with sodas, adding a touch of elegance.
- Cordial Glass: This is the ideal glass to serve a digestive after meals. Sophisticated, these glasses with a capacity of 30 to 120 ml are small but thick enough.
- Hurricane Glass: If you feel like sipping a cocktail on the beach, this is the cocktail glass type you need. They have a large capacity (445-680 ml) and are generally used for tropical or fruit-based cocktails.
- Stemmed Beer Glass: This is one of the types of glasses with the largest capacity and the thickest glass. They are used to serving popular “cañas” in Spain.
- Wine Glass: Since there is more than one type of wine glass, we will detail the different options and their uses in the following paragraph.
Types of Wine Glasses
There are two main categories of wine glasses in the food and beverage service:
- Red Wine Glasses: The red wine glass is larger and wider than the one used for white wine. In addition, its opening is also larger to allow the wine to “breathe” and release its aroma. It is also important to note that these glasses should only be filled halfway to allow the wine to oxidize. As for the stem, it should be long enough for the user to hold the glass without warming it.
- White Wine Glasses: The white wine glass is a little smaller and narrower. However, its stem is longer to maintain the wine’s cool temperature. Their conical shape helps concentrate the aroma even more. Their opening is smaller to prevent the wine from rapid oxidation.
8 Types of Glassware Absolutely Essential in the Food & Beverage Industry
Now that we have reviewed the different types of glassware, it’s time to focus on the most used in the food and beverage service.
Water Glass
Essential in any catering establishment, the water glass is perfect for serving water, but also any fruit juice. Its design and shape can vary, although transparent models are the most popular.
Shot Glass
If we take into account all the types of glassware used in the food and beverage service, the shot glass is obviously the smallest of all. It has a capacity of 20 to 40 ml for a liqueur that is usually consumed in one gulp.
Caballito
Our favorite name among glasses and tumblers! Used for serving tequila, this elongated shot glass became popular in the 70s, but its name dates back to the 19th century when tequila drinkers would ride horses to agave fields (plants from which tequila is distilled).
Cocktail Glass
Used to serve red Martini or vermouth, this type of glass of medium size has enough space to add ice cubes.
Highball Glass, Tumbler, Collins, or Long Drink Glass
This is a fundamental cocktail glasses types in the F&B industry. It is especially used in cocktail bars or pubs. It is a long glass, which can hold from 235 to 255 ml of liquid, requiring at least two ice cubes. Bartenders use it to serve alcoholic drinks, especially mixes of vodka, rum, whiskey, or gin with sodas.
At Araven, we offer our customers glasses and tumblers for outdoor use. Of course, it was impossible not to include highball glasses in this range! These are unbreakable, not being made of glass, to prevent accidents. You can therefore use them safely in places like swimming pools, campsites, or tourist complexes. Moreover, they are reusable to reduce plastic waste. Learn more!
Lowball Glass
As its name suggests, it is a low type of glass. It is only used to serve whiskey or cocktails made with distilled beverages.
Old Fashioned Glass
It is very similar to the previous one, mainly used for whiskey. The fundamental difference is the presence of patterns or reliefs on the glass.
Beer Glass
Just like the different types of wine glasses that vary according to their usage, we can distinguish different types of beer glasses:
- Pilsner Glass: Named after Pilsner beer, it is widely used in catering. Wide and resistant, it has a capacity of 200 to 475 ml. At Araven, we offer this model of Pilsner beer glass, ideal for use in swimming pools, festivals, or tourist establishments.
- Wheat or White Beer Glass: It looks very similar to the previous one, but this type of beer glass has a rounded shape on top to allow the foam to last longer.
- Pint Glass: Although its use has spread internationally, it is the most used beer glass in the United States. Lower than the previous ones, but with a capacity of 470 to 600 ml, it contains a large amount of beer.
- Beer Mug: very used in Spain, it usually contains half a liter of beer. The glass is thick, and its handle is its main characteristic. This prevents the liquid it contains from heating up, while allowing easy drinking.
If you found this article on the different types of glassware interesting, visit our website. At Araven, we have a large collection of glasses and tumblers for food and beverage service that we can customize with the logo or name of your business. An excellent way to enhance your branding! Visit our website and explore all our glasses for the F&B sector!
