Drinking Jam Jar
A drinking jam jar is a thick glass jar with a moulded handle, made to drink from; our shop’s is 46cl. It is a casual glass for tall drinks with lots of ice, such as a Lynchburg Lemonade or a mule at a garden table. Most are sold as open glasses with a smooth rim; some come with a lid and a straw hole.
About the Drinking Jam Jar
We Make One
A 46cl handled drinking jar for long drinks over ice, sold singly or as a pair.
Original Handled Drinking Jam Jar, 46clMade to Drink From, Not to Preserve In
The drinking jar borrows the shape of a preserving jar, threaded neck and all, and adds a handle and a smooth rim. The rim matters: a food jar's rim is made to seat a lid, and some are sharp against the lip.
Some drinking jars come with a lid and a straw hole for carrying a drink across a garden. Most are sold as open glasses.
Fill It With Ice First
At 46cl, a jar takes a good load of cubed ice and around 200 to 250ml of drink. Pack it with ice to the rim, build the drink over it and stir once. A Lynchburg Lemonade or a Tom Collins both fit, and the ice keeps them cold until the jar is empty.
A drinking jar against other glasses for long and shared drinks (jar and highball from our shop; the rest our guidance)
Drinking jam jar
- Usual size
- 46cl (our shop)
- Handle
- Yes
- Suits
- Long drinks outdoors
Highball
- Usual size
- 38 or 42cl (our shop)
- Handle
- No
- Suits
- Spirit and mixer over ice
Collins glass
- Usual size
- 36cl or more (our guidance)
- Handle
- No
- Suits
- Tall sours lengthened with soda
Punch cup
- Usual size
- 12-18cl (our guidance)
- Handle
- Often
- Suits
- Punch served from a bowl
| Glass | Usual size | Handle | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking jam jar | 46cl (our shop) | Yes | Long drinks outdoors |
| Highball | 38 or 42cl (our shop) | No | Spirit and mixer over ice |
| Collins glass | 36cl or more (our guidance) | No | Tall sours lengthened with soda |
| Punch cup | 12-18cl (our guidance) | Often | Punch served from a bowl |
Two Masons, a Century Apart
John Landis Mason patented his threaded preserving jar on 30 November 1858, US Patent 22,186. More than a century later, Garden & Gun says, Tony Mason, a lounge owner in Huntsville, Alabama, threw together the Lynchburg Lemonade in 1980; Jack Daniel’s promoted it without compensating him, and he sued in 1983 for $13 million and was awarded one dollar.
Keep It for Cold, Long Drinks
Short drinks served up look lost in a jar, and anything hot is a risk, because pressed jars are not made for heat. A jar comes into its own on a warm day, full of ice and a long drink.
Using the Drinking Jam Jar
Usage
Long drinks built over cubed ice and lengthened with a mixer: whiskey and lemonade, a mule or a Tom Collins. A 46cl jar takes plenty of cubes and around 200 to 250ml of drink. It is a glass for the garden or a barbecue rather than for a stirred drink served up.
Pro Tip
Ten minutes' freezing chills the jar well before a hot afternoon. Thick glass holds the cold well, so the first sips stay cold and the ice lasts longer. Never run hot water into a jar straight from the freezer.
Professional Tips
- Ice first, packed to the top, then build the drink.
- Use the handle, so your hand stays off the cold glass.
- Build long drinks straight in the jar and stir once.
- Keep short, delicate drinks for a smaller glass.
Alternatives
Budget Alternative
A tall, straight-sided tumbler or a highball glass. Either holds the same long drink over ice; you lose only the handle.
Premium Option
A heavier pressed-glass jar with a well-formed handle and a polished rim. It feels sturdier and survives knocks better; the drink is no different.
Specifications
Material
Pressed glass, usually thick-walled
Capacity
46cl (our shop)
Details
A moulded handle, a screw-thread profile at the neck, and a smooth rim on jars made for drinking
More to explore
Common Questions
What drinks suit a drinking jam jar?
How much does a jam jar glass hold?
Can I drink from an ordinary jam jar?
Can you shake a cocktail in a jam jar?
Is a drinking jam jar the same as a punch cup?
Can you put hot drinks in a jam jar glass?
Are jam jar glasses dishwasher safe?
Sources.
Checked between 18 October and 20 October 2026.
- Google Patents, “US Patent 22,186, J. L. Mason, 30 November 1858”.
- Garden & Gun, “Lynchburg Lemonade: a cocktail for Tennessee (Kathleen Purvis)” (named-author magazine: Tony Mason, a lounge owner in Huntsville, Alabama, 1980; Jack Daniel’s promoted it without compensating him; he sued in 1983 seeking $13 million and was awarded one dollar).
- Jerry Can Spirits shop, “Original Handled Drinking Jam Jar, 46cl”.
- Jerry Can Spirits shop, “Crystal ICE Hiball, 42cl”.
Made with the Drinking Jam Jar
Used In These Cocktails
Related Equipment
Related Ingredients
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 20 October 2026