Nick and Nora glass
GlasswareA Nick and Nora glass is a small stemmed glass for stirred or shaken drinks served up, usually holding 4 to 6 oz (120 to 180 ml).
Also called: Nick & Nora
- Capacity
- 4 to 6 oz (120 to 180 ml)
- Used for
- Small stirred or shaken drinks served up, such as the Martini, the Manhattan and the Last Word
What Nick and Nora glass means
The glass takes its name from Nick and Nora Charles, the cocktail-loving couple in Dashiell Hammett's 1934 novel The Thin Man. Bartender Dale DeGroff brought the glass back at New York's Rainbow Room in the late 1980s, and it has been a bar favorite since.
You meet this glass mostly with drinks served up, which means chilled with no ice in the glass. Use it for smaller spirit-forward drinks such as the Martini, the Manhattan and the Last Word.
Its small bowl suits a few sips, not a long drink. A glass this small has little room for ice, so it is built for drinks that arrive with none, which keeps each sip strong and cold. That makes it a poor fit for anything with a long pour or a mixer.
How to serve a drink in a Nick and Nora glass
Pick this glass for a small drink served up, then chill it before the drink goes in.
- 1.Chill the glass first, since the drink arrives with no ice to keep it cold.
- 2.Stir the drink in a mixing glass with ice, then strain it into the glass.
- 3.Lift it by the stem to keep your fingers off the bowl.
Nick and Nora glass compared
- CoupeA coupe has a wider, shallower bowl. This glass is smaller, with a taller, bell-shaped bowl.
- Martini glassA martini glass has a wide, cone-shaped bowl. This one is narrower and holds less.
Related terms
Put it to use in your next drink
Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.