The gender of glasses: how and what to drink in a male or a female glass

Did you know that even glasses have a gender? Well, it’s open warfare in ‘female versus male’ style between the cocktail glass and the classic tumbler glass!

Actually, this is not quite the case, but let’s say that there is, in fact, a general preference among the female public for cocktails in small cups, while the male public much prefers drinking in tumblers, almost always ‘on the rocks’ that is, with ice, which is very ‘American style’.

How can this trend be explained? We could make some assumptions:

The small cup is a glass perceived as more delicate, which goes easily with a smaller hand like a woman, while the tumbler, sturdier in construction, goes well with a strong, masculine hand.

The drink in the cup tends to heat up faster, so it is suitable for a quicker drink, while the drink on the rocks of the tumbler maintains the temperature more and allows more time to spend with the glass in hand. But is it true that women drink faster than men? Or does the evocative power of the gesture have a lot to do with it?

The cup is undoubtedly a more fragile glass than the tumbler so one would think that it might be easily broken by the force of the male grip;

Certainly, the image in films has also greatly influenced this theory. Nearly always, in classic films and elsewhere, glamorous women sip small cups of Cosmopolitan and important men sign business agreements by toasting with whiskey on the rocks, strictly in faceted tumblers.

In short, there are many stereotypes, and they can often really condition our drinking choices. Indeed, drinking each cocktail in the most suitable glass can considerably improve the taste experience: seek the advice of your trusted mixologist and the in-depth information available in our Cocktails and Company column!