The six glasses that cover any menu
You do not need a full cabinet. Six well-chosen pieces will serve almost any classic properly, and there is one you probably already own that you can skip.
Setting up a home bar spirals quickly if you try to match every drink with its specific glass. The reality is that the vast majority of classics fit into six formats, and three of them already cover most of the ground.
The three essentials
Highball, 240 to 350 ml. Straight and tall, for anything topped with soda or tonic: gin and tonic, mojito, paloma, rum and coke. It is the glass you will reach for most.
Rocks or old fashioned, 200 to 300 ml. Low, wide and heavy-based, for spirit-forward drinks served over ice: Old Fashioned, Negroni, whisky neat. The wide mouth is deliberate: it lets the alcohol breathe.
Coupe, 150 to 200 ml. The shallow, wide-mouthed one, for everything served up: Daiquiri, Manhattan, Cosmopolitan, a Whiskey Sour served without ice. It is the most versatile stemmed glass.
The three that complete the set
Collins. Taller and narrower than a highball. That proportion reduces the surface exposed to air, so carbonation lasts longer. For long drinks you sip slowly.
Nick & Nora, around 150 ml. Like a coupe but narrower and deeper. It concentrates aroma better and, crucially, does not spill when you walk with it. For a Martini or Manhattan it beats the classic glass.
Balloon or large wine glass. For gin and tonics and spritzes: room for plenty of ice, for the garnish, and for the botanicals to open up.
The one you can skip
The classic V-shaped Martini glass. It is the most recognisable and the worst designed: the open angle spills at the slightest movement, the broad surface speeds up warming, and the wide mouth lets escape precisely the aromas a Martini needs to concentrate. A Nick & Nora or a coupe does the job better. Keep it if you like the look, but do not buy it thinking it is the right choice.