by Sean Brison |
Last Updated: June 4, 2022 Looking for a martini glass alternative but unsure what’s available? Let’s fix that. Contrary to popular belief, you have several choices when it comes to serving your cocktails “up.” This post highlights 13 high-quality Nick and Nora glass options worth getting your hands on now.
Let’s dive in.
1. The Original Nick and Nora Glass
The original post-prohibition cocktail glass straight out of the Thin Man movies. Heavy Art Deco curves and straight lines collide in this novel shape that's said to be as chic as a New Yorker's Nieuport airplane. A subtle taper complements traditional styling while its heat-tempered rim ensures shatters won't set your evening table on fire. As a bonus, it's also made with lead-free crystal and is dishwasher safe. Bottoms up.
2. Nick and Nora Glass from Crate and Barrel
Dubbed classy as sh*t by many an imbiber, this sleek glass serves up a practical side to your classic cocktails sporting slosh-proof near-vertical walls and space-saving when stored. It's slightly larger than a traditional Nick and Nora glass at 8 oz to help elevate your solo drinking abilities while not worrying about spills.
3. Acopa Deco Nick and Nora Martini Glass
Known for its high-quality glassware including highballs and rocks glasses, Acopa presents its 5 oz vintage version of the Nick and Nora with a rounded bowl for easy sipping, thick glass construction built to withstand everyday, high-volume use, and gives your bar cart an era of authenticity for your next speakeasy soirée.
4. Amusespot Vintage Lace Nick and Nora Glass
Retro-cool while keeping the most spill-prone sipper from tossing their spirit overboard, Amusespot's team adds a chic layer to this Nick and Nora in the form of vintage lace that wreaks of 1940s charm. It's apparent why this style is an enduring favorite and makes a fine alternative to a champagne coupe.
5. Nick and Nora Cafe Trocadero Cocktail Glass
These Nick and Nora 1930s era crystal cocktail coupes have etched icons inspired from the Trocadero's interior. At the time, it was one of the most distinguished clubs in all of L.A. serving as the nightclub setting for The Thin Man Films. Famed Hollywood celebs including Rita Hayworth, Bing Crosby, and Fred Astaire were frequent patrons of the establishment. This drinkware is thermal shock and spill-resistant equipped with a 6 1/4 capacity.
6. Riedel Nick and Nora Charles DSG
Riedel's innovative machine-made, drink-specific glassware was designed in collaboration with spirits specialist Zane Harris. Created for the classic cocktail enthusiast who prefers the simpler times when 5 ounce-sized glasses eclipsed the modern-day 20 oz martini goblet. Harris paid close attention to the size, shape, and volume of each glass, fusing form with function while never sacrificing quality.
7. The Bacall Collection Nick & Nora Cocktail Glass
This gift box holds two vintage-style cocktail coupes inspired by Hollywood’s Golden Age actress, Lauren Bacall, who was mentioned in a NY Times article to have “purred every word.” She was also Humphrey Bogart’s wife and Ciro’s was their stomping ground. She's remembered for her sense of style, elegance, and “the look.” This glass is etched with subtle floral details and inspired by the 1940s Ciro-style Hollywood nightclubs. It has a 5.5 oz capacity.
8. Zelda New Yorker Cocktail Glass
Roar into the 2020s with this petite and elegant gift set inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald. She was the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald and epitomized 1920s New York with her brash, capricious style. Her husband referred to her as the first American Flapper. If you think your home bar deserves classic glassware for classic cocktails, this one is worth a look.
9. Gold Trim Nick and Nora Glass
Add some sass to your glass with this gold-trimmed stemware piece. It's the classiest 6-pack you'll ever buy. Curl up with five of your closest friends drinking Mary Pickfords and Hanky Pankies, Lionel Ritchie-style (i.e., "all night long"). Fill one of these charming vessels with up to 150ml (5 oz) worth of liquid while keeping your guests guessing about its contents.
10. Silver Trim Nick and Nora Cocktail Glass
Prefer to go platinum? If you're looking for your next barware upgrade, this silver-trimmed glass from Cocktail Kingdom is probably what you need. More than an elegant personal-sized pitcher to quench your thirst, it's also durable enough for commercial use. At 5 oz capacity, they're the perfect size for enjoying a chilled drink served "up" before it gets warm.
11. Riedel Sour Glass
Similar to the Nick and Nora glass but sporting an outward flared lip with slightly larger dimensions to catch the froth from traditional sour cocktails. This model is part of Riedel's drink-specific glassware collection based on the traditional ways of serving the classics. It’s made from machine-blown, lead-free crystal, and is dishwasher safe.
12. Nick and Nora Retro
Need to take out a spill-proof policy against that "excitable" drinker in your life? This Prohibition-era classic cocktail glass with its smart etched pattern and tall walls can accommodate you. It's the leaner alternative to your classic martini glass.
13. Viski Raye Nick and Nora Cocktail Glass
Viski Raye created this piece as the alternative to a traditional Nick and Nora offering a boxier design. Its vertical walls afford you a spill-resistant refuge (unless you've had one too many then all bets are off) while nabbing a nuanced flair from its second cousin, the coupe cocktail glass. This model is made with lead-free crystal and is dishwasher safe.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nick and Nora Glasses
Who Were Nick and Nora Charles?
Nick and Nora Charles were the main characters in Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man. Nick (played by William Powell) was a retired detective, and Nora (played by Mirna Loy) was a wealthy heiress.
The films were released in the 1930s after Prohibition’s end and popularized cocktail culture. The glass they were seen sipping spirits from grew in popularity and became known as the eponymous Nick and Nora Glass. They were a witty, fun-loving, adventurous duo who America wanted to be.
What Do You Serve In a Nick and Nora Glass?
You serve cocktails ‘up’ (i.e., chilled without ice) in a Nick & Nora glass. Martinis (try your next martini using Old Tom gin), Manhattans, and Negronis are perfect examples of drinks that go in that glass. Alternatively, when serving drinks on the rocks (i.e., with ice), you’d use an old fashioned glass (aka tumbler) or highball glass.
The craft cocktail revival during the early 2000s saw the Nick and Nora glass surge in popularity and many now prefer it to the angular martini glass which is harder to hold and easier to spill.
How Many Ounces Should A Nick and Nora Glass Hold?
A traditional Nick and Nora glass typically holds between 4-6 ounces. It was the best-known drinking glass of its time. Most of the glasses recommended in this list stand at five ounces.
I appreciate The Thrillist’s take on it:
The glass is similar to a shallow wine glass in design and holds a modest 6 ounces of liquid. The elegant style gives a retro twist to a drink that would normally be served in a martini glass.
Large martini glasses tend to warm your drink halfway through but a smaller glass keeps your drink chilled for the duration.
The other objection many drinkers have to the angular martini glass is that your cocktail sloshes out of the vessel too easily while the vertical-walled Nick and Nora helps preserve your spirit’s contents within.
What Did Nick and Nora Drink?
The Manhattan, the Bronx, and the Martini were drinks mentioned by Nick throughout the series. I even encountered a cocktail titled the “Nick and Nora” in Difford’s Guide (a standard martini recipe) consisting of only two ingredients:
- 2 1/4 oz Rutte Dry Gin
- 3/4 oz Noilly Pratt Extra Dry Vermouth
Perhaps his most memorable line on the subject was this:
“The Important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to foxtrot time, a Bronx to two-step, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time.”
Last Words
Whether you want something to replace the martini glass, or searching for something as classic as a cocktail coupe, the Nick and Nora glass makes a fine addition to your home bar collection. Thirsty for more cocktail ideas? Read this.