Why Some Cocktails Ought To Be Served In A Rocks Glass

Teapots aren't the only things known for being short and stout. Just like teapots, cocktail glasses come in a variety of different shapes and uses. The ideal vessel for a cocktail enables it to be enjoyed to the greatest extent possible. This is the general reason some cocktails ought to be served in slender vessels, while others shine in a short and stout rocks glass. For the details, we turned to an expert.

Just as she did when we were curious about the best way to store simple syrup, Lexi Parker, Lead Bartender at Poka Lola Social Club in downtown Denver, has shared her wisdom with us about why some cocktails are best served in a rocks glass. According to Parker, Old Fashioned, negroni, Sazerac, and white Russian cocktails are always served in rocks glasses because of their aromatic elements.

Parker explains that the features of a rocks glass make it the ideal vessel for these particular cocktails, which all feature ingredients meant to smelled. "The glass itself has a very wide mouth, which allows the drinker to have a nice wide area to smell the whiskey as well as the orange expression over the top."

Despite what one might expect, the most influential sense for enjoying a cocktail is your sense of smell. While a sense of taste is critical for identifying flavors like sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami, as well as temperatures like hot and cool, the actual flavor of something can be more dependent on how the odors make their way to your nose.

To thoroughly appreciate the orange expression of a negroni, the lemon included in a Sazerac, or the aromas of coffee liqueur in a white Russian, an imbiber must take the time to smell the cocktail. Lexi Parker emphasizes that such aromatic components are most readily enjoyable when the cocktail is served in a rocks glass. With such a vessel, there is ample opportunity to appreciate the flavors at play well before the first sip.

Besides aromatics, aesthetics also come into play. According to Parker, when serving voluminous cocktails like these, a rocks glass is the best choice for presentation. "These drinks would all look pretty silly in anything other than a rocks glass," she explains. If you enjoyed Parker's guidance on creating a multisensory experience with a rocks glass, you might also appreciate her tip for using simple syrup in your next old fashioned.