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OptionalHigh confidenceStandard, well-understood barware.

Rocks glass / Old Fashioned glass

A short, sturdy tumbler used for spirit-forward drinks served over ice.

What it's for: Serving drinks built or stirred over ice.

Don't have one?

Any short tumbler works fine.

A heavier base and wider mouth accommodate large ice cubes and leave room for stirring or muddling — but any short, sturdy glass gets the job done.

Buying guidance

Choose a glass with a thick, weighted base that can take large ice cubes without tipping.

Cocktails served in this glass

39 recipes call for it as their glass of choice.

An Old Fashioned in a rocks glass with a large ice cube and orange peel

Old Fashioned

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

strongbitterdry
medium5 minwhisky
A Negroni in a rocks glass with a large ice cube and orange peel"Negroni served in Vancouver BC" by Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

Negroni

Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, built over ice — bittersweet, bracing and impossible to mistake for anything else.

bitterstrongdry
easy5 mingin
A Whiskey Sour in a rocks glass with a silky white foam and a lemon wheelPhoto by Nasim Didar on Pexels

Whiskey Sour

Bourbon, lemon and sugar, shaken with egg white for a silky foam — the original template for every 'sour'.

soursweetstrong
medium5 minwhisky
A Mai Tai in a rocks glass over crushed ice with a mint sprig and lime shell

Mai Tai

Aged rum, orange curaçao, orgeat and lime, finished with a dark rum float — tiki's most argued-over classic.

tropicalstrongfruity
medium7 minrum

Caipirinha

Cachaça muddled with lime and sugar over crushed ice — Brazil's national drink in its rawest form.

sourstrongrefreshing
easy5 minrum
A White Russian in a rocks glass with a cream layer on top of dark coffee liqueur"White Russian Cocktail" by ccnull.de Bilddatenbank is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

White Russian

Vodka and coffee liqueur, softened with cream — a short, sweet, after-dinner sipper.

creamysweetstrong
easy3 minvodka

Black Russian

Vodka and coffee liqueur, built simple and strong — the White Russian without the cream.

strongbittersweet
easy3 minvodka
An Amaretto Sour in a rocks glass with a frothy top and a cherry garnishPhoto by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels

Amaretto Sour

Almond-sweet amaretto shaken with lemon and a whisper of egg white — nutty, tart and silky.

soursweetfruity
medium5 minliqueur led

Also served this way

These lead with a different glass but are properly served in a rocks glass / old fashioned glasstoo. They are listed without photographs because each one's picture shows the glass it leads with.

Usually served in a margarita glass

Margarita

Tequila, orange liqueur and fresh lime, shaken hard over a salted rim — the reference point for every sour built on agave.

sourstrongfruity
easy5 mintequila

Usually served in a julep cup

Mint Julep

Bourbon, mint and crushed ice, packed into a frosted cup — the classic Kentucky sipper.

strongherbalrefreshing
medium6 minwhisky

Usually served in a coupe glass

Kamikaze

Vodka, triple sec and lime in equal parts, shaken hard — a sharp, no-frills bar staple.

sourfruitystrong
easy4 minvodka

Where this is covered in more depth

Glassware guide