What to Buy Bar & Drinks You Should Have Riedel’s Highball Glasses on Your Home Bar — Here’s Why These versatile glasses make even the most simple cocktails look sophisticated. By Dylan Ettinger Dylan Ettinger Dylan Ettinger is a Los Angeles-based writer who specializes in spirits, cocktails, and coffee with hands-on experience visiting distilleries and bars all through the US, Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean. He is also a long-time hospitality professional with over a decade of experience tending bar, and working in specialty coffee. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 19, 2023 In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Reviews How We Used the Riedel Highball Glasses What We Loved About the Riedel Highball Glasses The Caveats How They Compare The Verdict We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Food & Wine / Macy's For home bartenders, it’s important to have the right glassware for every cocktail. It’s often overlooked, but a great highball glass is something that everyone should have behind their bar. It’s one of the most versatile glasses for serving drinks and is used with some of the most popular and crowd-pleasing cocktails, like a classic Scotch and Soda. When shopping for cocktail glassware, the German brand Riedel is one that often comes up — they’re among the most respected glassmakers in the world. And like the brand’s reputation would suggest, the Riedel Highball Glass deserves to be considered one of the best on the market. Riedel's glassware earned top marks in our review of the best highball glasses, and for good reason. The combination of quality crystal, classy design, and affordability make these glasses the perfect addition to any home bar cart. Riedel Drink Specific Glassware Highball Glass Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Nordstrom Price at time of publish: $45 Capacity: 11 ouncesQuantity: Set of 2Material: CrystalDishwasher Safe: Yes How We Used the Riedel Highball Glasses Highball glasses work best with their namesake drink. A highball cocktail — like a whiskey highball — is usually a few ounces of a spirit poured over ice and then topped off with soda water. The term highball usually refers to a Scotch whisky-based drink, but the style can expand to other similar combinations — a gin and tonic, vodka soda, or even a refreshing Ranch Water recipe. To test the Riedel Highball, we made a handful of cocktails that are normally served in a tall drinking glass or tumbler. During the mixing process and while enjoying each drink, we paid close attention to the build quality of the glass and how it felt in the hand. We paid attention to the volume, the wash line, and the presentation of each drink. We also noted the ease of cleanup after making each cocktail. Dylan Ettinger What We Loved About the Riedel Highball Glasses The Riedel Highball glass sits right at the center of a Venn diagram that charts affordability, build quality, and design — the three most important factors to consider when evaluating glassware. The glasses are made of high-quality crystal and built with enough heft that they aren’t easily tipped over and cracked while simultaneously still feeling elegant in the hand. Its design is stylish, but minimal enough to not overwhelm. The vertical ridges help when condensation accumulates on the glass’s exterior, providing a bit of extra grip on a hot day. It’s also very easy to hand wash and after about eight months of regular, careful use, there are no noticeable signs of wear. It’s also an extremely versatile piece of glassware that can be used for a variety of different styles of cocktails. It works beautifully when serving classic mixed drinks like a gin and tonic, a whiskey highball, or any variation of that style, like a Paloma or mojito. It’s a perfect fit for more complex cocktails like a Queen’s Park Swizzle, or a Jungle Bird. And of course, the glass works well for iced tea, fruit juice, or any other nonalcoholic drinks. The Riedel Highball glass sits right at the center of a Venn diagram that charts affordability, build quality, and design — the three most important factors to consider when evaluating glassware. Dylan Ettinger The Caveats The only real downside to the Riedel Highball glass is the capacity. It can hold around 11 ounces, whereas most others can hold between 13-16 ounces. The Riedel Highball’s capacity is perfect for many cocktails, but higher-volume drinks like the Zombie won’t fit easily. Also, as versatile as this glass is, it doesn’t work with every cocktail — it’s specifically meant to hold drinks served with ice cubes, pebble ice from a nugget ice maker, or ice spears. The glass holds a bit too much volume to comfortably fit a drink like a Martini or a Daiquiri that’s traditionally served up in a proper coupe. It also can’t accommodate the large block of ice that Negronis or Old Fashioneds are poured over or large, round cubes from a spherical ice mold. How They Compare Dylan Ettinger The Riedel Highball glass excels beyond the competition because it combines durability and design. The vertical ridges on the sides of the glass give the glass a bit more heft and weight without sacrificing any aesthetics. Most other competing glasses around this price point or cheaper have thinner walls without any adornments and tend to be either too thick and plastic-like or too fragile. The Verdict For stylish, affordable, and sturdy glasses, you can’t go wrong with the Riedel Highball. Its versatility makes it a must-have for any aspiring home bartender. It’ll also look stunning sitting next to your matching crystal mixing glass. Although it shouldn’t be used to serve every cocktail, it covers so many classics that it should be a standard behind every home bar. To buy: Riedel Highball Glasses, $45 at Amazon Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit