Highball Glass
The tall, straight-sided glass for long drinks over ice. Its proportions do a specific job: narrow enough that carbonation escapes slowly, tall enough to hold a full load of ice and still leave room for the mixer.
Essential Equipment
Recommended for every home bar
Alternatives
Budget Alternative
Standard tumblers (£2–4): serviceable, but often lack consistent dimensions.
Premium Option
Schott Zwiesel Paris Highball or Nude Club Highball (£20–30 per set): durable, well-proportioned, designed for heavy use.
Care & Maintenance
Care Instructions
- Dishwasher safe on glassware cycle
- Dry immediately to prevent water spots
- Polish before service for clarity
- Store upright to protect rims
- Rotate stock to avoid uneven wear
Expected Lifespan
- •Premium glass: 3–5 years in professional service
- •Standard glass: 2–3 years
- •Budget glass: 12–18 months before rim wear
Usage
Gin and tonic, Mojito, Dark ’n’ Stormy, Paloma, Tom Collins, Rum and Coke: anything built in the glass and lengthened with a mixer. Also the default for a spirit and soda, where the shape keeps the fizz alive longer than a tumbler would.
The Shape Is the Function
A highball is tall and narrow, and both dimensions are doing work.
Narrow means a small surface area at the top, which is where carbonation escapes. The same volume in a wide tumbler goes flat noticeably faster. Tall means the glass holds enough ice to keep the drink cold for its whole life without the ice occupying the space the mixer needs.
That combination is why a gin and tonic in a proper highball stays sharp for twenty minutes, and the same build in a squat glass is flat and warm within ten. The shape is not a style decision.
Highball or Collins
A Collins glass is taller and narrower than a highball, and the two are used interchangeably almost everywhere.
Roughly, a highball runs 240 to 300ml and a Collins 300 to 400ml. Any drink specified for one works in the other, and most bars own a single tall glass and call it whichever the recipe does. Where the distinction survives it tends to be a house preference rather than a rule.
If you are buying one set, buy in the 300ml range. It covers both without looking under-filled for a shorter build.
Ice, and Filling It Properly
Fill the glass with ice. Not half, not two-thirds. To the top.
This is a common mistake in home highballs and it is counterintuitive. Less ice feels like less dilution, and it produces the opposite: a small amount of ice in a tall glass warms quickly, melts fast, and gives you a drink that is simultaneously warm and watery. A full glass of ice keeps the whole drink cold and each cube melts slowly.
Cold mixer matters just as much. Ice cannot both cool a room-temperature tonic and keep the drink cold; asked to do both, it does neither well.
Pouring for Carbonation
Down the inside wall, gently, and stir once.
Poured straight into the middle, a mixer crashes through the drink and drives off a good proportion of its carbonation before it reaches the glass rim. Angled against the side, it slides in and keeps most of it.
Then one slow turn with a bar spoon, from the bottom. Every additional stir knocks out more gas, and a highball that has been stirred four times is measurably flatter than one stirred once. If the drink looks unmixed, it will resolve on its own as the ice moves.
Pro Tip
For a whisky highball, chill the glass, fill completely with ice, add whisky first, then soda slowly down the side. The highball’s wider profile softens carbonation, creating a smoother, more integrated drink.
What to Look For
- Straight sides: easier ice packing and stirring
- Capacity around 240 to 300ml: prevents over-dilution
- Comfortable weight: durable without feeling clumsy
- Smooth rim: repeated sips amplify flaws
- Clear glass: long drinks are visually judged
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Under-icing: leads to fast dilution
- Overfilling: removes space for carbonation
- Using tall narrow glasses: those are Collins
- Over-stirring: flattens the drink
- Treating all highballs as identical: proportions vary
Professional Tips
- Fill it with ice properly. Half-filled means a warm, fast-diluting drink.
- Pour the mixer down the inside wall to keep the bubbles.
- One gentle stir. Every extra one costs carbonation.
- Chill the glass if you have time; it buys several minutes.
Specifications
Material
Glass
Capacity
250–350ml
Details
Straight or slightly tapered sides, moderate height, thin-to-medium rim, flat or lightly weighted base
History & Context
The highball emerged in the late 19th century as ice and carbonated mixers became widely available. Its name refers not to the glass itself, but to the style of drink: a spirit paired with a non-alcoholic mixer, served tall and cold. Unlike the Collins glass, which specialises in citrus-driven cocktails, the highball is deliberately generalist. It trades precision for adaptability, making it a fixture in bars worldwide. When chosen and used correctly, it delivers clean, refreshing drinks with minimal fuss.
Common Questions
What is a highball glass?
A tall, straight-sided glass of roughly 240 to 300ml, for long drinks built over ice. The proportions matter: narrow keeps carbonation from escaping quickly, tall holds a full load of ice while leaving room for the mixer.
What's the difference between a highball and a Collins glass?
Size, marginally. A Collins is taller and narrower, at around 300 to 400ml against a highball’s 240 to 300ml. They are used interchangeably almost everywhere, and any drink specified for one works in the other.
What size highball glass should I buy?
Around 300ml. That covers both highball and Collins builds without looking under-filled for a shorter drink, and it holds a full load of ice plus a standard 150 to 200ml of mixer comfortably.
What drinks go in a highball glass?
Anything built in the glass and lengthened: gin and tonic, Mojito, Dark ’n’ Stormy, Paloma, Tom Collins, Rum and Coke, or any spirit with soda. Broadly, drinks that are long, iced and drunk over time rather than sipped short.