Tall glass

Tall glass
Mojito served in a Collins glass
TypeTumbler
Other names
  • Chimney glass
  • Collins glass
  • Highball glass
  • Fizz glass
Introduced1870s

A tall glass is a variety of tumbler intended for bubbly mixed drinks, particularly long drinks. A traditional bar glass, it is flat-bottomed with a thin, minimally tapered or perpendicular wall. Large and small tall glasses are called a Collins glass and highball glass respectively, for their respective eponymous cocktails, the Collins and the highball (the latter as opposed to a lowball glass). The fizz glass is an archaic, further smaller tall glass for fizzes.

A tall glass of 10–12 US fluid ounces (300–350 ml) can be used interchangeably as a Collins glass or highball glass: a Collins glass typically holds about 10–14 US fluid ounces (300–410 ml), whilst a highball glass may hold about 8–12 US fluid ounces (240–350 ml). In some bars, a tall glass may be replaced with the readily available pint glass. The tall Collins glass or chimney glass is a larger 16 US fluid ounces (470 ml) glass used for large cocktails like the Singapore sling or Zombie.

History

The tall glass was introduced in the 1870s to keep carbonated mixed drinks fizzy for longer, owing to its narrow shape. The larger Collins glass and the 6 US fluid ounces (180 ml) fizz glass came about first, with the highball glass arriving as a go-between size in the 1890s.

The gin and tonic is typically served in a tall glass in the Anglosphere. In early 21st century Spain, the tall glass has been increasingly swapped for a large balloon glass (Spanish: copa de balón) for gin and tonic (gintonic); the alternate choice of glass has been introduced to Britain from British tourism to Spain.

References

  1. ↑ Baggett, Slyvie (2025). "Glass Act: In barware, it's not just what's on the inside that counts". Virginia Living. Vol. 23, no. 6. p. 101. ISSN 1543-9984.
  2. 1 2 Wondrich, David, ed. (2021). "Glassware". The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199311132.
  3. ↑ Herbst, Sharon; Herbst, Ron (1998). The Ultimate A-to-Z Bar Guide. New York: Broadway Books. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7679-0197-0.
  4. ↑ Iseman, Courtney (February 7, 2025). "The Glass You Should Really Be Drinking Gin And Tonic Out Of". Tasting Table. Retrieved 2026-09-14.
  5. ↑ Punch. "The Balloon Effect". PUNCH. Retrieved 2026-09-14.