What’s the Distinction Between a Rocks Glass and an Previous Customary Glass?

On paper, the rocks and the Previous Customary glass serve related functions. Each are quick glasses meant for holding neat pours, a spirit with an ice dice or two, or cocktails equivalent to a Sazerac and, sure, an Previous Customary.

Each glasses carry out this job effectively, although there are a couple of key variations between the 2. The most important distinction is the dimensions: The Previous Customary glass is smaller, sized to carry a single Previous Customary with a big dice of ice or smaller cubes. The rocks glass (or double Previous Customary glass) presents a bigger capability—supreme for an even bigger blended drinks or these with a beneficiant quantity of ice.

What else defines these two glasses? That will help you discover which glassware is true in your pour, we explored the slight variations and in contrast the highest manufacturers of each kinds.

The Previous Customary Glass

The Previous Customary is an iconic drink, beloved by literary icons and bartenders alike. There have been three drinks culinary legend James Beard swore by: a Dry Martini, a dry Daiquiri, and “an Previous Customary with none refuse in the way in which of fruit.” 

Early whiskey drinks weren’t served within the Previous Customary glass as we all know it immediately, nevertheless. Within the seventeenth and 18th centuries, whiskey glasses had been shallow, rounded silver or picket glasses known as quaichs.

The rounded backside caught round by means of the 18th century, and by then, glasses had been often known as tumblers. Legend has it that the glasses earned this identify as a result of they might tumble over and break should you set them down.

In 1862, Jerry Thomas wrote in his bartender’s information that the Whiskey Cocktail (the sooner iteration of the Previous Customary) was shaken over effective ice and strained right into a “fancy” crimson wine glass.

At this time’s Previous Customary glass appears to be like a bit totally different. It holds between six to eight ounces, or a two-ounce pour of whiskey plus ice. An Previous Customary glass includes a low profile, a large diameter, a thick base, and a flat backside, excellent for muddling and huge sufficient to carry a handful of small cubes or one good, plump rock.

Previous Customary glasses are designed for the drink to be constructed straight in them. Within the case of an Previous Customary, meaning you’ll add sugar, bitters, a splash of water, and citrus peel to the glass, muddle till the sugar is dissolved, add ice and whiskey, and stir till dilution is achieved. Some different stirred and spirit-forward cocktails to make on this fashion of glass are a Sazerac, a Vieux Carré, and a Negroni.

The Rocks Glass

Though Previous Customary, rocks, and lowball glasses are sometimes marketed as the identical factor, there are slight nuances that separate Previous Customary glasses from rocks glasses. The first distinction is the dimensions: Because the identify implies, Previous Customary glasses are sized to carry precisely one Previous Customary.

Rocks glasses fluctuate extra in measurement and are historically seven ounces or bigger. Previous Customary glasses had been typically extra well-liked earlier than Kold-Draft and large-format ice trended, however now that giant, slick, hand-cut ice has grow to be a fixture of bars, bigger rocks glasses have stepped into play.

The dimensions makes rocks glasses extra versatile. With almost double the capability of an Previous Customary glass, this glass is right for drinks which have a better proportion of non-alcoholic mixers. You may make an Previous Customary or go for any variety of different cocktails which have a number of substances equivalent to a Penicillin or the Petronio from Alquímico, our International Highlight Winner 2023.

When you’re on the fence about which glass to purchase, search for a rocks glass. There’s no have to personal each glasses, and the rocks glass pulls double responsibility for Previous Fashioneds and a variety of different drinks. Bonus: the Yarai Rocks Glass from Cocktail Kingdom doubles as an impromptu mixing glass.