The 5 Best Highball Glasses

Highballs might be simple in construction, but there’s a science to making a great one. We asked House of Suntory West Coast Brand Ambassador Jonathan Armstrong to share a few insider secrets on what it takes to build the perfect highball cocktail at home: “The best kind of glass is a tall, heavy glass. That could be a Collins glass or even something with a handle. My only recommendation is to use something nice and heavy––highballs are always better with a cold glass, and a heavy glass will stay colder for longer after coming out of the freezer.” The Riedel Coca-Cola Glass is the clear winner based on factors such as comfort in hand and shape.

So stock up on quality soda, your favorite spirit, and some citrus, then read on to find out about the best highball glasses to get this year.

The Rundown

Most Durable:

Schott Zwiesel Modo Highball Glasses at Amazon ($66)

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Best Fluted:

Williams-Sonoma Dorset Crystal Highball Glass at Williams-Sonoma ($40)

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Best Etched:

Nude Design Studio Big Top Glassware Highball Glasses at Amazon ($69)

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Best Design:

CB2 Cooler Glass at CB2 ($7)

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Best Set:

Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky Gift Set at Totalwine.com (See Price)

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Most Durable

Schott Zwiesel Modo Highball Glasses

Zwiesel Glas Modo Barware Bar Glass, Set of 6, 6 Count (Pack of 1), Clear

Amazon

View On Amazon $66 View On West Elm $78 View On Nordstrom $78

Clocking in at 14.6 ounces, these simple yet elegant Schott Zwiesel Modo glasses are perfect for tall orders of long cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks alike (they’re the perfect everyday water glass if you ask us). Made by a trusted name in glassware, each Modo glass is constructed from lead-free Tritan crystal in Germany, and they’re resistant to scratches, chips, breaks and thermal shock. Sip, clean in the dishwasher, and repeat as needed.

Best Fluted

Williams-Sonoma Dorset Crystal Highball Glass

Williams Sonoma

View On Williams-Sonoma $40

There’s nothing quite like the look of a classic-style fluted glass, heavy in the hand, and with an ability to capture light that’ll instantly level up any bar cart, cabinet, or tray in the right setting. The Slovenian-made 13.9-ounce Dorset crystal highball glasses by Williams-Sonoma are a prime example––inspired by the coastal English county of the same name and made from hand-cut lead crystal. This set makes for an excellent wedding gift or glassware collection upgrade.

Read Next: The Best Wine Glasses

Best Etched

Nude Design Studio Big Top Glassware Highball Glasses

Design Within Reach

View On Amazon $69 View On Wayfair $18 View On Design Within Reach $70

The hits keep coming from contemporary cult-favorite glassware brand NUDE. Their wide variety of ultra-thin, sparkling lead-free crystal glasses covers all of your serving and drinking needs (and then some).

The Big Top collection is inspired by the shapes, lines, and general aesthetic of the circus. Their highball glasses come in three different sizes (10 ounces, 11.5 ounces, and 14.5 ounces), and all feature distinct vertical raised lines and an inwardly sloped base. We’ve found that the 11.5-ounce glass is ideal for a highball, but if you prefer a larger drink (or just like to use a lot of ice), consider opting for the 14.5-ounce version.

Best Design

CB2 Cooler Glass

CB2

View On CB2 $7

You can always rely on CB2 for beautiful, contemporary design, and these tortoiseshell highball glasses are no exception. They’ve got a minimalist vintage look and a nice, weighted feel; this collection is constructed in Poland from colored lime soda glass and have a 17-ounce capacity. CB2 recommends that these glasses be washed only by hand.

Best Set

Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky Gift Set

Suntory Whisky Toki With Highball Glass Gift

Total Wine

View On Totalwine.com

This one might just be our favorite, quite possibly due to the fact that it includes a bottle of whisky (we can neither confirm nor deny). But, for the same price as a lone bottle of Suntory Toki, you can make this gift set yours (or someone else’s), complete with a specially-designed highball glass and recipe card. Kanpai to that.

Good to Know:

“The Japanese have elevated the traditional whisky and soda to new heights by putting meticulous focus and care in every step of the process," Armstrong explains. "To make a good highball, all you have to do try to elevate some part, any part, of the process. Whether that’s good ice, high-quality soda water, or just using authentic Japanese whisky, the reward is always a well-crafted, refreshing cocktail with a sum far greater than any of its parts.”

Read Next: The Best Bar Sets

Why Trust Liquor.com?

Céline Bossart has been covering the wine and spirits scenes for over seven years and has been steadily building her glassware collection throughout. Currently, her favorite highball vessels are the Luigi Bormioli Bach glasses, though she’s also a fan of a sturdy glass mug, like the Suntory Whisky Highball Mug.

Article Sources

Liquor.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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Turner A. Heavy Metals in the Glass and Enamels of Consumer Container Bottles. Environ Sci Technol. 2019;53(14):8398-8404. doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b01726