Collins Glass
A tall, narrow glass of around 350ml, built for long drinks over plenty of ice. It is a highball drawn out and slimmed down, and the proportions are doing a job rather than a decorative one.
Alternatives
Budget Alternative
Standard straight-sided tumblers (£2–4): serviceable, but lack height and carbonation control.
Premium Option
Riedel Drink Specific Glassware Collins (£25–30 per pair): ideal proportions, excellent balance, professional-grade durability.
Care & Maintenance
Care Instructions
- Hand wash or gentle glassware cycle
- Dry immediately with a lint-free cloth
- Polish before service to remove water marks
- Store upright to protect rims
- Inspect bases: chips here often go unnoticed
Expected Lifespan
- •Premium glass: 4–6 years with proper handling
- •Standard glass: 2–3 years in professional service
- •Budget glass: 12–18 months before clarity or rims degrade
Usage
Tom Collins, Mojito, Paloma, Zombie and anything else built long over cubed ice. The narrow bore keeps carbonation in and the height leaves room for a full column of ice, which is what keeps the drink cold rather than merely wet.
Tall and Narrow, For a Reason
A Collins glass is around 350ml in a footprint barely wider than a highball, and the narrowness is the point.
Carbonation escapes across a liquid surface, so the narrower that surface, the longer the drink keeps its bubbles. A wide tumbler holding the same volume goes flat noticeably sooner. The same principle sends champagne into a flute rather than a coupe.
The height buys ice. A full column of cubes from base to rim reaches the top of the liquid, so the whole drink is chilled evenly rather than warm at the top and cold at the bottom. A full glass of ice melts far more slowly than three cubes in the same volume.
Against the Highball
They are close relatives and the names are used interchangeably in most bars, which is fine and slightly inaccurate.
A highball is generally 240 to 300ml and a little wider. A Collins is 300 to 400ml and narrower for its height. In practice, a gin and tonic works in either; a Tom Collins in a highball is cramped once the ice goes in, and a Mojito needs the height for the mint.
If you own one set of tall glasses, own highballs, since they cover more ground. The Collins is worth adding when you make long, ice-heavy drinks regularly, which is most of summer.
The Drink It Is Named For
The Tom Collins is gin, lemon, sugar and soda, and it arrived through one of the odder routes in drinks history: an 1874 hoax in which New Yorkers were told a man named Tom Collins was slandering them in a bar down the road.
People went looking. Bartenders, sensing an opportunity, started serving a drink of that name to anyone who asked for the man. The joke passed and the drink stayed, and by 1876 Jerry Thomas had it in print.
The glass took the drink's name because the drink needed a glass nothing else quite provided: tall enough for soda and a full load of ice.
Choosing and Keeping One
Look for a heavy base and thin walls. The weight keeps a tall glass from going over; thin walls chill faster and feel better at the lip. A uniformly thick tumbler is durable and reads as cheap.
Straight sides are worth insisting on. A tapered glass will not hold a column of ice cleanly and lets a mint sprig slide flat instead of standing.
They stack badly and chip at the rim, so store them upright with space between. Anything etched or cut hides limescale; if you have hard water, plain glass and a rinse in warm water with a little vinegar keeps them clear.
Pro Tip
For a flawless Tom Collins, chill the glass first, fill completely with ice, add the soda last, and give a single gentle stir from bottom to top. The narrow shape keeps the drink lively while the final stir ensures balance without flattening the carbonation.
What to Look For
- Tall, narrow profile: critical for carbonation retention
- Capacity between 300 and 400ml: anything larger loses balance
- Thin, smooth rim: improves perceived freshness
- Weighted base: stability on busy bars
- Clear, distortion-free glass: long drinks are visually judged
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using a wide highball: bubbles escape too quickly
- Under-icing: leads to fast dilution and flat drinks
- Over-garnishing: vertical space amplifies clutter
- Aggressive stirring: destroys carbonation
- Overfilling: removes headspace and visual tension
Professional Tips
- Fill it with ice completely. A half-filled glass dilutes faster.
- Add the soda last and do not stir it hard.
- Chill the glass if the drink is going in without a shake.
- Straight sides matter: they hold a mint sprig upright.
Specifications
Material
Glass
Capacity
300-400ml
Details
Tall straight-sided profile, narrow diameter, thin rim, heavier base than a highball
History & Context
The Collins glass is inseparable from the Tom Collins, a 19th-century cocktail built around citrus, sugar, and soda. As ice became more widely available and carbonation more refined, bartenders discovered that a taller, narrower glass preserved bubbles, slowed dilution, and kept drinks colder for longer. Unlike the more general highball, the Collins glass is a specialist tool. Its proportions favour brightness, lift, and refreshment, making it ideal for citrus-based long drinks where structure matters as much as volume. In modern bars, it remains the gold standard for carbonated classics that should feel crisp from first sip to last.
Common Questions
What's the difference between a Collins glass and a highball?
Size and proportion. A highball runs 240–300ml and slightly wider; a Collins is 300–400ml and narrower for its height. Most bars use the names interchangeably. The Collins suits long, ice-heavy drinks that leave a highball cramped once the ice goes in.
What is the Collins glass named after?
The Tom Collins, which came out of an 1874 New York hoax. People were told a man of that name was slandering them in a nearby bar, and bartenders started serving a drink to anyone who came looking. The glass took the drink’s name.
What size is a Collins glass?
Around 350ml, give or take 50ml either way. That holds a full column of cubed ice plus a long drink with clearance at the rim. Anything under 300ml is really a highball, and much over 400ml starts to be a Zombie glass.
What drinks suit a Collins glass?
Anything built long over ice: the Tom Collins, Mojito, Paloma, Dark ’n’ Stormy, Zombie. The narrow bore holds carbonation and the height takes a full load of ice, so the drink stays cold and fizzy rather than diluting into something flat.