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Mixing glass

A large glass used with a bar spoon to stir spirit-forward drinks over ice without diluting them too fast.

What it's for: Stirring spirit-forward drinks over ice.

Don't have one?

A clean measuring jug or any sturdy glass jug works for stirring.

Little practical difference from a sturdy jug provided it holds enough ice and liquid comfortably.

Buying guidance

Look for thick, heavy glass that resists cracking from ice and has a pouring lip.

Cocktails that use this

Bourbon or rye, stirred slowly with sugar and bitters — the template every modern cocktail descends from.

Gin and dry vermouth, stirred to a razor-cold clarity — the most argued-over cocktail in the book.

Rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, stirred with bitters — the spirit-forward counterpart to the Martini.

Gin and lime cordial, stirred cold and clean — a short, tart classic with naval roots.

Bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth stirred over ice — a whiskey-forward cousin of the Negroni.

A Martini in every way but one — dry gin and vermouth, stirred cold, finished with a pickled cocktail onion instead of an olive or twist.

El Presidente

White rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and a touch of grenadine, stirred cold — Havana's answer to the Martini.

Equal parts mezcal, Campari and sweet vermouth — the Negroni's smoky, agave-forward cousin.