There are a few essential items everyone needs on their bar cart. First and foremost, you need some great bottles of booze. You need some mixers to compliment your favorite types of alcohol. Some stir sticks and garnishes also never hurt anyone. Arguably one of the most important parts of your drinks besides, well, the actual taste? The vessel you serve them in. Whether you’re making mojitos on the weekends, enjoying a nice gin fizz after a long workday or are in a mixology experimental phase, you’re going to need a great set of highball glasses.
Highball glasses are great for cocktails and drinks of all kinds. They’re taller glasses that can hold more than your standard whiskey glass you’d serve an Old Fashioned in, and are a bit shorter and wider than Collins glasses. The glass you serve your drink in is as important as everything that goes into the drink itself, so choose wisely.
What Are Highball Glasses?
Highball glasses are typically used to serve drinks such as the Mojito, gin & tonic, Bloody Mary and Dark N’ Stormy. These drinks tend to have more of a non-alcoholic mixer, hence the larger capacity, and are served poured over ice. The liquid capacity of highball glasses can range widely from 10oz all the way up to 19 or 20, and can be used for cocktails or as regular everyday drinking glasses.
Having a great set of these can help when entertaining and serving drinks to multiple people, and will make your bar cart mixology situation look super legit. We’ve gathered our favorite highball glass sets you can order online to get your pouring on, into the right vessels.
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1. Red Rock Highball Glasses (Set of 4)
BEST OVERALL
These sturdy, stable highball glasses feature a thick heavy base that’ll keep them grounded no matter what the drink inside is. They’re lead-free and completely crystal-clear so the colors of whatever is inside will pop. This set also comes with four environmentally-friendly stainless steel drinking straws. All of the glasses can go into the dishwasher safely without worry that they’ll crack, chip, cloud or scratch. At less than $27 for all of them you also know you’re getting a great deal on glassware that’s strong enough for everyday use but can still hold their own elegance-wise at an upscale cocktail party.
2. Royalty Art Kinsley Tall Highball Glasses
RUNNER-UP
This set of eight highball glasses is perfect for your kitchen or dining room, and the 12 oz. cups are perfect for beer, soda or just regular drinking water. Each glass has a cool, textured design that wraps around the base and elegantly fades towards the top, and they’ve got thicker bases for balance and strength. The design also helps improve your grip, especially on a hot day when the glass might be sweating. The borosilicate glass is stain and odor-resistant, easy to clean and is top-rack dishwasher-safe as well.
3. Longchamp 12 oz. Crystal Highball Glass (Set of 4)
BEST GIFT
These crystal highball glasses from Longchamp are made with Krysta, a European high-quality lead-free crystal that comes from France and is 30% stronger at the rim. These glasses have diamond-pattern cut glass details that give them amazing shape and shine. They have a transparency index of 98.5 and will maintain this level of shine even after 2,000 dishwasher runs. They’re BPA-free and also scored a 100% on the acoustic indexing scale, proving their quality of construction. They have a beautiful, classic design that one expects from a highball glass made for high rollers, but without the price tag to match. They’d make an excellent gift for someone looking to spruce up their kitchen and add to their drink ware collection.
4. Paksh Novelty Italian Highball Glasses
BEST BUDGET OPTION
These affordable highball glasses from Paksh Novelty come in a set of six glasses for less than $25, a bargain if you ask us. Each glass has a 13 oz. capacity making them slightly larger than your average highball tumbler, and have a contemporary look that’s timeless. You can entertain with these or keep them in your kitchen cupboard for everyday use. Their cylindrical shape is easy to grasp and are made with lead-free materials so you can serve with confidence in their safety. The thick base also keeps them from shattering upon dropping, just in case something happens.
5. Waterford Gin Journeys Lismore Hiball
BEST SPLURGE
If you’re looking for nice crystal homeware, Waterford’s quality is unparalleled. This Gin Journeys collection was created for an optimal gin experience, a liquor typically served in a highball glass. Waterford’s drinking glasses were designed with tasting experts that helped shape the glasses so you’d get the enriching aromas and flavors of the botanicals in every cocktail. These signature diamond and wedge-cut glasses allow enough space for garnishes and ice along with the beverage, and the patterned sides are stunning to look at as well. This set blends an old tradition with new, modern materials for a fresh take on this classic spirit.
6. Hanno 10 oz. Highball Glasses (Set of 4)
BEST THEMED GLASSES
These jungle-themed highball glasses have a beautiful, eye-catching design without being too cheesy or campy. The understated theme adds a layer to their appeal without taking them out of the everyday glasses running for your kitchen. The raised adorning elephants add a lot to each glass alongside the smoky grey color. They’re made of BPA-free glass and are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
7. Gin and Tonic Diagram Glassware — Set of 2
CUTEST DESIGN
These highball glasses have an adorable design on the front that illustrates all the core components of a great gin and tonic. The playful design is actually an adapted drawing from an attorney-turned-artist, who playfully illustrates the proper proportions for a great cocktail. Each glass has a 13 oz. capacity and is made in New Jersey, USA.
8. Mikasa Cheers Highball Glasses (Set of 4)
BEST FOR EVERYDAY USE
Each of these highball glasses from Mikasa features a slightly different etched playful pattern on them that work together just as well as they work separately. The patterns range from polka dots to spirals and radials which gives them a contemporary, modern and casual look. They’re made of glass and are hand-wash only because of the patterns. Find the perfect balance between sophisticated and fun with these highball glasses for your kitchen.
9. Maegan 13 oz. Highball Glasses (Set of 6)
BEST DESIGN
ON SALE!
We love this textured blue design from Mistana called “Cornflower.” It’s an essential design that’s been elevated and can hold 13 ounces of your favorite beverage with ease. The beaded detailing adds just enough oomph to the glass while remaining BPA-free and dishwasher safe. This design comes in other colors as well so you can pick based on your preferred style. They’re easier to hold and manipulate due to the texture and come in a set of six so you’ll have plenty to work with right off the bat with your first purchase.
10. Luigi Bormioli Veronese Bar Collection
BEST SET
These highball glasses from Luigi Bormioli come in a set alongside six old fashioned glasses made by the same designer. With one purchase you’ll have a complete set of drink ware ready to serve all your favorite refreshments with. These pieces are made by Luigi Bormioli, an Italian designer known for taking everyday function and making it special. These glasses are a perfect example, with the added flair of the oval bases and round rims that elevate these designs and give them life beyond the conventionality of a cup. They’re made with SON.hyx break-resistant glass so they’re designed to not shatter after one unfortunate drop and are dishwasher-safe.
11. Godinger Isla Highball Glasses (Set of 4)
BEST SHAPE
If geometry is your thing and you’re down to play with different shapes, these glasses from Godinger Isla are a great pick. They’ve got a modern design with sleek angles and a stylish look that takes them beyond your regular drink ware and adds sophistication to your cocktail experience. This bold set of four is made of glass that should be hand washed and has nearly twice the capacity of your regular highball glass, at 24 oz.
12. Etsy Personalized Hiball Tumbler Beverage Glasses
BEST MONOGRAMMED DESIGN
Who doesn’t love a little personalization? These monogram-able highball glasses from Etsy are a great addition to a family kitchen or make a great gift. You’ve got your choice of font and can purchase them in a set of 2, 4, 6 or 8 as well. They’re dishwasher-safe, hand-engraved and hold 15 ounces of liquid each. The high cylindrical shape is classic highball, and they’re both practical enough for everyday use and polished enough for special get togethers.
13. Colorful Collins Highball Glass Tumblers
BEST COLORFUL DESIGN
These beautiful handmade highball glasses have a beautiful stained glass color design that’ll pop anywhere you use them. They come in a set of four and will work just as well with cocktails as they will with iced tea. Each one was blown by a professional glass blower and colored by frit, a mix of crushed up glass that looks like little pebbles.
14. LUXU 19 oz. Highball Glasses Set
LARGE CAPACITY
Highball glasses can range wildly in size and dimensions, and these are definitely on the larger end of the capacity scale. 19 ounces of liquid can be poured into these bad boys with no problem, so if you’re a lover of double cocktails these are for you. These glasses have a contemporary look that’s great for entertaining and have a clean, no-frills design. They’re sturdy enough for everyday use and have a temperature range of -68°F to 212°F.