Snifter

Glassware

A snifter is a brandy glass with a wide, bulbous bowl that narrows at the rim, so the aroma stays close to your nose.

Also called: brandy snifter · brandy balloon · snifter glass

Capacity: 6 to 12 oz (180 to 350 ml)
Used for: Brandy, Cognac and other aged spirits served neat, and some rich after-dinner drinks

What snifter means

You will meet a snifter with brandy, cognac and other aged spirits served neat. Most snifters hold 6 to 12 oz (180 to 350 ml). The narrow top traps the aroma as you sip, and the glass also turns up on after-dinner menus for a digestif. Cognac and armagnac come from different regions of France, but the snifter works for both.

A common myth says brandy should be heated over a flame in the glass, but a flame is not needed. The name comes from snift, an old word for sniffing, and a snifter meant a small drink by 1830. The bulbous bowl came along in the 1930s, long after the name was in use.

How to serve a drink in a snifter

Keep the pour small and the grip gentle, since the bowl is made to hold the aroma.

1.Pour a small measure, so the wide bowl stays mostly empty and the aroma gathers under the rim.
2.Cup the bowl in your palm and let the warmth of your hand warm the spirit gently.
3.Smell the spirit first, then take a slow sip while the bowl is still in your palm.

Snifter compared

Rocks glassA rocks glass is open and made for ice. A snifter's narrowing rim keeps the smell of a spirit served neat close to you.
Tulip or Glencairn glassA tulip or Glencairn glass is smaller, with a similar narrowing rim, and it is common for whisky tasting.

Related terms

Ingredients

Put it to use in your next drink

Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.