The Best Coupe Glasses In 2023
There are nearly as many glasses as there are types of drinks, especially within the wide world of adult beverages, so you can't be expected to be an expert on all of them. Still, it's worth familiarizing yourself with at least few types of glassware and what they're used for to improve your hosting skills, not to mention your own sipping satisfaction. Among them, the coupe glass is making a comeback at savvy cocktail bars and in the collections of amateur mixologists, so it wouldn't hurt to start here.
You already know the glass — it's the one that typically looks like a little bowl perched atop a dainty stem. For those of us who prefer to drink bubbly rather than shatter bottles against boats to christen new ships or open bottles with a saber for TikTok, coupe glasses were originally developed for serving champagne. Today, though, they're more often used for cocktails served up, meaning shaken or stirred with ice and strained into a glass.
Shopping for coupe glasses can be more difficult than expected because there aren't a ton of features that will make the right choice an obvious one. In fact, you may want more than one style of coupe glass depending on your intended uses. Whether you're serving cocktails or champagne, indoors or out, at a party or a romantic dinner, you may need to pay attention to details like the size of glass, the thickness of the stem, the material, or the artistic touches it presents.
How we selected coupe glasses
To bring you the best coupe glasses of 2023, we've drilled down on the most popular uses for these elegant vessels and identified the qualities most important to those specific needs. From there, we scoured the market for trusted providers of quality glassware and pored through their inventories seeking the best coupes that matched our needs, considering the ideal qualities for each use.
After narrowing down our selections to a few top choices in each category, we consulted other experts in both the glassware and wine and spirits spaces to weigh in on our favorites. Combining their input with published reviews from actual users of each glass we considered, we honed in on our top pick for each category of the best coupe glasses in 2023. From the best coupe glass for champagne to the best vintage style coupe, you'll find the perfect coupe for every use below.
Best coupe glasses overall
If you don't have the space or budget to invest in several sets of coupe glasses but prefer to procure a single set of all-purpose vessels, the Riedel Veritas Coupe is your best bet for meeting all of your needs in style. The delicate crystal bowl of the Riedel Veritas Coupe is a modest width with enough volume to support cocktails of any size while still handling a champagne pour that doesn't encourage all the bubbles to escape too quickly.
The machine blown crystal of these Riedel coupes reveals none of the visible seams that lower quality glasses betray, offering even more experiential value for the mid- to upper-range price point of this carefully boxed pair. Their deceptively simple design and quality construction bring a sense of class to any use. Customers praise the elegance of the thin rim, which they say improves the sensory experience while sipping either champagne or cocktails from these hero coupes. Whatever you're drinking from a coupe, you'll surely want to feel special while doing it, and the quality of the Riedel Veritas collection ensures you will.
Purchase a pair of Riedel Veritas Coupes on Amazon for $79 as of March 2023.
Best budget coupe glasses
Whether you're looking for two coupe glasses or 200, budget can understandably be the No. 1 concern. Still, you shouldn't have to sacrifice on the overall experience just because you're saving a buck — after all, if you're using a coupe, you're likely celebrating something! Fortunately, there are affordable, attractive coupes you can score without resorting to the likes of IKEA (not that we have anything against the mega seller of iconic Swedish foods and furniture).
The CB2 Marie Coupe Cocktail Glass holds 7 ounces in a classic bowl with a uniquely shorter stem that makes it less likely to be knocked over, so you won't have to replace your glasses as often, no matter how clumsy you are. These ones may be made of glass instead of crystal, but at just about $6 per coupe, you won't mind the substitution. Of course, if you do have some budget to level up a bit without going overboard, you can opt for one of two whimsical colorways that are still a steal at about $17 each. All colors are available as individual buys, so you won't need to snag an entirely new set to replace one broken glass either. Customers who give this coupe five stars range from New York City bartenders stocking their home bars to happy brides who shipped them to destination weddings and raved about their appearance and durability.
Purchase the CB2 Marie Coupe Cocktail Glass 6-pack at CB2 for $35.70 as of March 2023.
Best splurge coupe glasses
Changing gears from budget to splurge, you can be sure it's time to abandon glass and return to crystal. But not just any crystal — we're talking Baccarat crystal. Baccarat was founded more than 250 years ago and has a reputation for creating some of the most elegant and refined crystal pieces in the world, each one of them handblown. To give an impressive gift or to make a serious statement on your home bar, nothing will stand out quite like a pair of Baccarat Harcourt 1841 Red Knob Coupe Glasses, though you'll have to pay a pretty penny for them.
The Baccarat Harcourt coupe emanates a regal aura through a thick goblet shape and chunky stem complete with a signature ruby red accent that adds a jewel-like touch. Though there are far fewer customer reviews of these beauties (hey, they're a lot more expensive than the rest), they still hold a perfect five-star rating on Google shopping, where customers call it a pleasure to drink from these magnificent coupes. As much a piece of art as a practical tool, Baccarat crystal holds its value for centuries, so these also make a solid investment as display pieces even if you won't be using them often. Bonus: Their considerable heft makes them less likely to topple and chip compared with most other coupes, too, protecting your considerable investment.
Purchase a pair of Baccarat Harcourt 1841 Red Knob Coupe Glasses at Bloomingdale's for $700 as of March 2023.
Best shatterproof coupe glasses
Let's get one thing straight right away: You won't find truly shatterproof coupes made of crystal or glass. If you absolutely require unbreakable coupe glasses for an outdoor event or a house full of kids, you're going to have to settle for alternative materials like plastic or melamine. Of course, trading away more beautiful materials means you're also giving up the elegance and sophistication of the coupe almost entirely, so we're presenting the sturdiest, most durable glass option we could find instead. Could it break? Technically, yes. Should it break under normal circumstances? No.
The Leopold Coupe Glass from Cocktail Kingdom is, in fact, made of glass, but it's designed for commercial use. This means it is intended to be used over and over in busy settings and can stand up to a commercial dishwashing machine. It can certainly handle your home dishwasher, but it is also a stellar option if you're looking to stock a restaurant or large event. Despite this coupe's durability, satisfied customers say they're still not as thick as visibly cheap coupes, and they manage to remain sturdy without resorting to a clunky feel. And, because they are actually glass and not crystal, they're less likely to shatter into a million tiny pieces should any misfortune befall them.
Purchase the Cocktail Kingdom Leopold Coupe Glass 6-pack on Amazon for $39.99 as of March 2023.
Best coupe glasses for gifting
There are definitely more and less expensive coupe glass options on this list, but if you're looking for the ideal mid-range coupes to gift without busting the bank, the Waterford Elegance Champagne Belle Coupes are your best bet. With the distinct V-shape plunge of the Waterford Elegance collection that stands apart from most coupes and a sleek gift box presentation that's ready to go, this pair of Waterford crystal glasses makes an instant statement (especially if you include a bottle of good champagne).
Waterford glasses are carefully handcrafted, and the champagne belle coupe is large enough to handle a truly celebratory pour at nearly 8 ounces, making it a favorite choice for a variety of special occasions. Savvy gifters have presented these coupes for milestone birthdays, anniversaries, and more, all leaving five-star reviews of the crystal glasses themselves as well as relaying positive reactions from the recipients. You don't necessarily have to give these away, though; there's nothing wrong with gifting a pair to yourself, as many have done before!
Purchase a pair of Waterford Elegance Champagne Belle Coupes on Amazon for $115 as of March 2023.
Best coupe glasses for garden parties
Some garden parties veer toward understated elegance, draped in all white linens and décor, but our favorite garden parties are a bit more festive. We prefer to embrace the bounty of the garden's flowers, inviting the full color spectrum to the table in a burst of vibrant joy, which is one reason we've selected The Wine Savant Vintage Art Deco Coupes as the perfect champagne or cocktail glasses to kick off your outdoor event. Each handblown coupe in this 6-pack comes in a different cheerful color with gold-tone stems and chic gold-painted rims.
One delighted reviewer told Amazon that the airy colors "dance together and immediately elicit a festive feeling," adding that the delicate glass had an almost crystal-like quality that boosted its appeal. Best of all, while these exuberant coupes look and feel expensive, they're actually quite affordable at just over $10 each, so you won't be too devastated if a breeze interrupts your garden party, and you suddenly find yourself in need of some replacements.
Purchase The Wine Savant Vintage Art Deco Coupes 6-pack on Amazon for $64.99 as of March 2023.
Best coupe glasses for cocktail parties
Coupe glasses are most easily recognized by the rounded, bowl-like shape atop their stems, but this isn't necessarily a required shape for a coupe. Instead, some coupes sport bowls with more vertical rims compared to their sloped or curved counterparts. If your coupe goals lean more cocktail party than champagne toast, this is the shape you should seek. The straight walls of the coupe help prevent sloshing and spilling as your cocktail party guests mingle and cheer repeatedly, and there's less need for sloped edges to aerate your spirits or enhance the aroma as there would be with wine, like a champagne.
While the first recorded cocktail party may not be what you'd expect, it did involve the signature standing and mingling we still practice today, and that requires a glass that can stand up to all the action. Verified purchasers of these coupes from The Buybox compliment not only their appearance, but also the sturdy design that meets the demand of serious entertaining, especially grateful that they give off a delicate appearance despite their more utiliatarian strength.
Purchase The Buybox Vintage Coupe Glasses 4-pack on Amazon for $44.99 as of March 2023.
Best vintage style coupe glasses
You may have noticed that several coupe styles that have already appeared on this list are dressed in vintage flair, but if vintage style is top on your list of coupe must-haves, then Williams Sonoma is the maker for you. While also returning to the delicate curve and smaller volume of the earlier coupe glasses of yesteryear, Williams Sonoma adds detail that really sells this style as vintage-inspired: the etched glass design.
Williams Sonoma claims this is the style you've long seen on your grandmother's table, and we thoroughly agree. The etched design may not match your memory exactly, but it's the etching itself that has been ubiquitous on coupe glasses and other special-occasion glassware since it rose to popularity in the middle of the 19th century. Though glass etching had actually been around since the 1600s, it required diamond cutting until the French technique of acid-etching made it more accessible in the 1800s. You could certainly hunt for true vintage coupe glasses with etched motifs at estate sales, auctions, and antique shops, but the quickest way to acquire a full set (and one that's far more easily replaced if accidents happen) is through this vintage-inspired set at Williams Sonoma.
Purchase the Williams Sonoma Vintage Etched Coupe Glasses 4-pack at Williams Sonoma for $79.95 as of March 2023.
Best coupe glasses for champagne
As we've seen, there are many modern uses for the coupe that go far beyond sparkling beverages, especially as connoisseurs have more recently moved toward the flute glass in an effort to maintain bubbly's bubbles longer, but the most iconic use for this special vessel will always be for champagne. Still, knowing what we know today about how champagne is best enjoyed, you won't want to sacrifice modern education just for show, so we've found the best compromise in the Ripple Ribbed Champagne Coupe from The Wine Savant.
Imbibers who've sipped from the Ripple Ribbed Champagne Coupe have praised its elegant design — an attribute you'd certainly expect for a celebratory champagne toast — but it's the quality sipping experience we most appreciate about this style. Despite its steep, vertical sides that will help prevent spills, there's a generous curve to the base of the bowl that encourages bubbles to rise dramatically. Still, the wide bowl opens the champagne for a better tasting experience, which is nearly lost in flutes glasses, so you'll maintain the flavor you want without losing the signature effervescent experience of champagne. And, if you'd like to add a little whimsy to the presentation, or perhaps serve a frozen champagne dessert, you'll find these available in a variety of colors and styles that add more punch to the experience.
Purchase The Wine Savant Ripple Ribbed Champagne Coupe 4-pack on Amazon for $39.64 as of March 2023.
Best coupe glasses for martinis
You've heard us say that coupes are well-regarded today for cocktails served up (chilled and strained), and the martini is a classic example of this style of cocktail. Strong as it may be, no one wants a martini diluted by melting ice, so you'll almost invariably find a martini served up without needing to request this. If you're picturing an olive-garnished cocktail in a large, conical glass, allow us to educate you on a couple points of martini history before we move one. First, the classic martini recipe calls for a lemon garnish, not olive, and the original glass used for a martini shared similarities with a coupe. Serving an up cocktail, like the martini, in a coupe also reduces splashing and spilling compared to the severe shape of a martini glass, which almost encourages the mess.
To serve a martini with serious style, strain the cocktail into a Rudyard Kipling Pegu Club Coupe from History Company, which offers unique home goods inspired by the past. While Bombay's Pegu Club was frequented by British officers seeking its eponymous cocktail (served up, of course), it's equally ideal for a martini. Fans of this coupe say the crystal looks twice as expensive as it really is, but just about any cocktail looks snazzy in this elegant design.
Purchase a pair of History Company Rudyard Kipling Pegu Club Coupes on Amazon for $64 as of March 2023.