How to Choose Rum Glasses with Regard to the Type of Drink

Last Updated: March 1, 2022

What is Customary to Serve and Drink Rum

Rum glasses are developed to hold the flavor of rum. Rum can be considered one of the most popular drinks in the world. Rum glasses are elegant and stylish while holding the delicious flavors of rum within. Rum is a drink that has a long history, with it being dated before 1650 A.D. Rum is a very popular drink that has grown over time to become in vogue once again many years after its origins.

Rum can be made from just about anything including; sugar cane, molasses, cotton seed and corn to name a few. Don’t think that you can drink rum just out of any glass! Serving rum at home is easy, but choosing the right glasses for rum won’t be such a simple task. You will meet a certain number of difficulties, from the diversity of varieties to the shape and size of the glasses and their capacity.

The choice of rum glasses is not an easy one. They differ in size, shape and materials from miniature tumblers to hurricane glass to wine-type glasses and even shot glasses. The manner of serving these drinks matters too: various cocktails for mixing and mixing different types of drinks at one table demands special glassware. It’s important to choose the right glasses for rum, especially if you serve it neat.

If you decide to choose rum as your drink of choice, then you will have a great many reasons to celebrate. Rum is best known for its use in pirate drinks where it is combined with juices (like grapefruit and lime), sugar, and spices. However, there are also some different varieties of rum that can be enjoyed on their own or as part of a new fusion drink. Rum is one of the most historic liquors as it is not only popular but has a long list of associations to sailors and pirates.

There are both dark and white rums, each serving different purposes and having different blends of ingredients. Rum has long played an important role in economy, in national and cultural identity of the countries where it is produced or imported: Caribbean countries, USA, South America and even Europe.

Features of Glasses for Serving Rum

It is confusing to know which glasses are suitable for your favorite drink. Rum is one of those drinks for which you should choose a specific glass, which will enhance the tasting experience. The process of alcohol production, like spirits themselves, has always been considered a symbol of wealth, prestige and luxury. The history of the formation of alcoholic beverages goes back centuries, so there is no one particular recipe for the most expensive drink on earth — rum.

It is a very versatile drink. Its taste varies depending on the raw material used and how it was produced — traditionally or with modern technology. Rum can be served in banal crucibles as well as the famous old-fashioned ones designed for whiskey. The use of this or that glassware depends mainly on the type of drink and its quality.

Types According to Form

The shape of rum glasses can vary considerably, both in terms of when they are served (before, during or after the meal) and in terms of the flavor, aroma and strength of the rum. Suitable glasses can be roughly divided into two groups: those used to serve «sipping rums» and those used to serve «mixing rums».

Snifter Glass — is a type of glass which comes in the shape of a small cup. Their popularity is derived from their shape that lowers the surface-to-volume ratio, resulting in an extremely short path length for the volatiles to evaporate and a maximum exposure time for the aroma to reach a drinker’s olfactory senses. In short, they maximize the flavor and aroma of the contents, leading to a much more enjoyable drinking experience.

Old Fashioned Glass — Maybe you’ve heard of this general type of glass. Some of the barware we will be talking about today is shaped like those glasses with a bottom that’s thicker than the sides. In fact, these are more often used in bars because they are very strong and are able to safely hold your favorite drink with ice or juice. Some types also have taller walls for cocktails or shots. It is an ideal glass when it comes to drinks that are served with ice cubes. It has grooves or ribbing on the exterior of the tumbler which provides a nice grip, even when the glass has been coated with condensation from the drink. Suitable for almost all varieties, except for the silver. Its unsaturated flavor is almost completely lost in this serving.

Transparency and Type of Glass

Traditionally, rum glasses are made of transparent glass of various qualities. They have a wide bowl for the maximum amount of aroma to be released, giving the drinker the opportunity to admire these and enjoy the quality of his drink. The rum glass is characterized for its design that repeats itself in a simple but loaded with emotion shape.

The glass has no stem, so it is easier to hold and pour. It can be leaded, crystal or tempered. In this case, unlike a wine glass, the transparency of the glass has little effect. It is impossible to judge the quality of rum by looking through it. This is why you can experiment with the patterns and colors of the rum glass.

What is Customary to Serve and Drink Rum

The choice of glass is dictated not only by the taste and quality characteristics of alcohol. This is the choice of the individual and the form of the party (party, feast (festive event), get-together) and even the design of the table (background flora, furniture style, etc.).

Shot Glasses

A shot is a small glass of strong alcoholic beverage, most commonly served in bars. The main condition is that the top edges of the glassware should slightly spread outward to evaporate excess alcohol. Shot glasses are also used in professional drinking games.

Tulip Glass

In the world of flavors, tulip glasses are treated with special attention. The shape of this glass is well studied in the traditions of wine making and sheds light on the features of pouring aromatic spirits. This glass gives the drink maximum aroma and flavor. This type of glasses is intended for golden, white and spicy varieties. In them rum is poured as an aperitif.

Grappa Glass

Spirits such as rum, brandy, vodka and whisky are meant to be served in small, elegant glasses that allow you to admire all the nuances of your glass of spirits. Grappa classically comes in a little shot glass-like glass. Now these glasses may be traditional, but they lack elegance which makes it difficult to fully appreciate a glass of fine grappa.

Rocks Glass

The Rock glass is the perfect balance between form and function. It has the same base of strong and thick glass, but the Rock differs by its walls diverging at a small angle with the same height. The bottom is curved, as opposed to being flat like a traditional rounded base, which holds more liquid per unit volume than other glasses due to surface tension effects.

Highball Glass

Most people like to drink their liquor (i.e. whisky, gin, vodka) chilled. So, this highball glass shapes itself as the best glass for such use. It has a thick bottom and is made of sturdier glass due to its special features. Alternatively called straight-sided glasses, they have tall and slightly divergent walls as well. In effect, the design of these glasses helps in keeping the drink colder than normal. The glass also boasts of a subtle narrow “waist” that further adds to its aesthetics. These straight-sided glasses come in different variations too such as highball glass with 8 oz capacity or 18 oz capacity or even 20 oz capacity designed to hold long drinks filled with ice cubes.

Irish Glass

The Irish glass is a type of glassware which is used for preparing hot cocktails and punches with the addition of rum. The glasses are thick-walled and on a low stem, and in general the walls diverge slightly towards the top. This allows for maximum surface area when adding alcoholic components to hot water, which then gives a greater flavour impact from spirits.

How to Choose the Right Glass for Rum

To buy the right glassware for your rum collection, there are a number of factors you should pay attention to :

The classic set of glasses for rum are snifters glass and old-fashioned.
The shot glass should be cone-shaped or expand to the top.
If the contents of the glass have a complex and rich aroma and flavor, the glasses should be narrower at the top.
The aroma of pure rum loses its sharpness after a large dose of consumption, so give preference to glassware of a smaller size.
The aperitif glass should not be too large.
When buying snifters glass or flutes for an aperitif, it is better to choose those made of crystal glass, as they are more reliable in use.
It is desirable to serve diluted or chilled alcohol in thick-bottomed glassware.
Red rum is usually served in shot glasses or old fashioned glass.
When served, the contents should occupy no more than a third of the flute, or two-thirds if it is a shot glass.
If you choose rocks glass, you should choose models with the thickest glass, thanks to which the drink retains its temperature longer.
For lovers of chilled cocktails, highball glass is ideal.
Medium spirits are best poured in glasses with angled walls.
It is not advisable to serve low-quality rums in snifters glasses, as they will accentuate all its flaws.

Every rum drinker has their own opinion about what type of glass is best for each variety of rum. Feel free to experiment with the glasses below and combine them to obtain the results you prefer. Indulge in the joy that comes from being able to enjoy any kind of drink at any time without needing to go to a bar for it.