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Mulher de Capote guide

The right glass for every cocktail

Presentation is half the drink. The glass you choose changes the temperature, the aroma and the pleasure of every sip. This is our guide to serving the cocktails from the Cocktails dos Açores deck as they deserve, from gin and tonics to the Queen of the Islands liqueurs.

You don't need to fill the cabinet. If you only have room for one glass, choose the copa balloon glass: it serves almost any gin-based drink and shines with a creamy cocktail. From there, each family of cocktails has its ideal glass. Below, eight glasses and the cards from the deck they pair with.

Copa / balloon glass
Glass 01

The copa balloon

The throne of the gin and tonic

A wide-mouthed glass with a rounded bowl, inherited from the taverns of the Basque Country. The curve keeps the gin's botanicals close to the nose and lets the drink breathe, opening up the floral and citrus aromas. The stem keeps your hand away from the liquid, the ice melts slowly, and there's still room for generous garnishes: a slice of passion fruit, a twist of tangerine peel, a sprig of mint.

It's the most versatile glass in the house: when in doubt, serve it in the copa.

In the deck

Highball / Collins
Glass 02

Highball & Collins

For the long and refreshing

Tall, straight and made for long drinks packed with ice, with juice, tonic or a touch of fizz. The height protects the bubbles and keeps everything cool to the last sip. The Collins is simply a taller, slimmer cousin with a little more capacity. Perfect for summer cocktails, the ones you sip slowly by the sea.

In the deck

Martini glass
Glass 03

The martini glass

The tall-stemmed icon

No glass is quite so recognisable. The triangular bowl and long stem were born of an obsession: keeping the drink cold for as long as possible, with no ice to dilute it. The wide mouth exposes the surface to the air and releases the aroma from the very first moment. Always served well chilled and without ice, for strained cocktails that are sipped slowly.

In the deck

Coupe
Glass 04

Coupe vintage

Roaring-twenties elegance

A wide, shallow stemmed bowl, the star of the parties of the early last century. Like the martini, it holds strained cocktails without ice, but its rounded shape is more forgiving and cradles garnishes better. It's the perfect glass for our creamy cocktails served straight up and for the citrus classics enjoyed in style.

In the deck

Rocks / Old Fashioned
Glass 05

Rocks & Old Fashioned

The drink over ice

Low, wide and heavy-based, also known as the lowball. Made for drinks served straight over rocks of ice, where the spirit leads and few ingredients compete. The ice fills almost all the space, protects the temperature and keeps the flavour concentrated. It's the glass of late afternoons, of the unhurried toast.

In the deck

Flute / coupe
Glass 06

Flute & coupe

Made for the bubbles

Tall and narrow, the flute holds the sparkle of the wine and sends the bubbles rising in a fine, elegant line. Less surface exposed to the air means more fizz preserved and more party in the glass. It's the glass of spritzes and royales, of the cocktails you raise with someone.

In the deck

Goblet / Irish Coffee
Glass 07

The hot goblet

For the steaming cocktails

A thick-glass vessel, often with a handle, made for hot drinks. The thick wall insulates the heat and lets you hold the glass without burning your hands, while the stem or handle does the same job. It's the glass of winter evenings, of coffee with spirit and of the drink that warms you from within.

In the deck

Snifter
Glass 08

The tasting snifter

To taste the best the house has to offer

A wide bowl with a narrowed mouth, designed to concentrate the aroma as you bring it to your nose. It’s the glass of aged spirits, made to be savoured slowly. Serve our aged aguardentes and vinhos abafados this way, or taste the Queen of the Islands liqueurs neat, with a single rock of ice, to sense every layer of flavour.

In the deck

The golden rule

Cold, aroma and a little theatre

In the end, choosing the glass comes down to three questions: should the drink stay cold? Does it have aromas worth smelling? Does it deserve a little ceremony? Answer those and the glass chooses itself. And if you get it wrong, don't worry: the cocktail still tastes of the Açores.

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