The best Nick and Nora glasses for stirred cocktails

The martini glass that finally stopped spilling.

Most home bars own a martini glass that overflows by the second sip. The best Nick and Nora glasses fix that – a smaller, deeper bowl built to hold a stirred cocktail cold and steady from pour to last drop. Here is what the shape is, how it differs from a coupe, and which sets are worth putting on your shelf.

Pick	Set	Size	Best for
Nick and Nora Coupe Cocktail Glasses – $39.99	Set of 4	5 oz	The everyday stirred-cocktail drinker
Art Deco Nick & Nora Coupe Glasses – $49.99	Set of 4	5 oz	The gift that reads speakeasy
Retro Nick & Nora Coupe Glasses – $59.99	Set of 6	5 oz	The host whose bar nights run long
Venus Nick and Nora Cocktail Glasses – $32.99	Set of 4	4 oz	The lowest-cost way into the shape
Art Deco Champagne and Cocktail Coupe Glasses – $69.99	Set of 4	7 oz	The drinker who also wants a wide coupe for Champagne
French Champagne and Cocktail Coupe Glasses – $59.99	Set of 4	6 oz	Shaken sours and sparkling pours
Modern Martini Glasses – $42.99	Set of 4	Standard	The traditionalist who wants the classic V bowl
Santorini Lowball Cocktail Glasses – $36.99	Set of 4	10 oz	Pairing rocks drinkers at the same bar cart

The go-to: the Venus Nick and Nora Cocktail Glasses at $32.99, the lowest entry price into the shape. The splurge: the Retro Nick & Nora Coupe Glasses at $59.99, a set of six built for the nights that run long.

What is a Nick and Nora glass?

A small, stemmed glass holding 5 to 6 oz, built with a deep bowl that keeps stirred cocktails cold and spill-free.

A Nick and Nora glass is a small, stemmed cocktail glass that holds around 5 to 6 oz. It has a deeper, more rounded bowl than a coupe and a narrower rim, which keeps a stirred, up cocktail colder and far less likely to spill. Named after the film couple in The Thin Man (1934). For the full history and sizing deep-dive, read our Nick and Nora glass guide.

That answers the most common follow-up too: what are Nick and Nora glasses for? Stirred drinks served up, meaning chilled and strained without ice. A martini. A Manhattan. A Vesper, a Martinez, a gimlet, a Bijou. Any cocktail you want to arrive cold, stay cold, and not slosh over the side when you carry it across a room. The tall stem keeps your hand off the bowl, so body heat never warms the drink. The Nick and Nora Coupe Cocktail Glasses give you the modern long-stem version of that shape; reach for a proper martini set when you want the classic wide V instead.

Capacity is the whole point. A vintage martini glass can run 8 to 10 oz, which encourages an over-poured, warming drink. A Nick and Nora holds 5 to 6 oz and is built around a 3 to 4 oz pour, nothing more. Browse our Nick & Nora glasses to see how consistent that sizing stays across every shape.

Why do they call it a Nick and Nora glass?

Named for the martini-drinking detective couple in The Thin Man, a name the craft cocktail revival made permanent.

Nick and Nora Charles were the martini-drinking detective couple in The Thin Man, the 1934 film adapted from Dashiell Hammett's novel of the same year. William Powell and Myrna Loy played them across six films. They drank constantly, elegantly, and out of small stemmed glasses that matched the tone of the whole series – witty, well-dressed, never sloppy.

The shape is older than the name. Small stemmed cocktail glasses like this were common in the 1920s and 1930s, but the "Nick and Nora" label is a modern invention. Most accounts credit the craft cocktail revival of the early 2010s, when bartenders reissued a version based on a vintage glass and adopted it as the house pour for stirred classics. The name stuck because it does the job of a good name: it tells you the era, the attitude, and the drink in three words.

Nick and Nora vs coupe glass: what's the difference?

A coupe is wide and shallow for showing off a drink; a Nick and Nora is narrower and deeper to keep it cold.

The two glasses are cousins. Both are stemmed. Both serve drinks up. The difference is in the bowl and what it does for the drink. A coupe is wide and shallow, with a broad open rim that spills easily and lets the drink warm faster. A Nick and Nora is narrower and deeper, tulip-leaning, with a smaller opening that traps aromatics and holds temperature. If you want a wider bowl for Champagne and shaken sours, our coupe glasses – including the Art Deco Champagne and Cocktail Coupe Glasses and the French Champagne and Cocktail Coupe Glasses – sit right next to the Nick & Nora range on the same shelf.

Most bartenders would say the choice comes down to the drink. Shaking a sour with egg white, or pouring Champagne? Use a coupe. Stirring a spirit-forward classic that needs to stay cold? Use a Nick and Nora.

How we chose the best Nick and Nora glasses

Capacity first, balance second, build quality third, and whether it ships ready to give as a gift.

We have been selling stemware for years, so the criteria are simple and unromantic. Capacity first: a real Nick and Nora holds 5 to 6 oz, not 8. Anything larger is a martini glass wearing the wrong label. Balance second: the stem has to be long enough to keep your hand off the bowl, and the base has to be weighted enough that the glass does not tip. Then build quality – clarity, an even rim, no visible seams – and finally, whether a set arrives ready to give as a gift. Every set above ships in our signature gift box.

We also looked at what the specialists sell, from bar-standard reissues to premium crystal versions, and how editorial testers rank them for shape and heft. Our picks hold up against all of it, and they gift better.

How to choose your set

Set of four covers couples and small bars; set of six covers hosting nights when people stay late.

Start with how many people you pour for. Couples and small bars are fine with a set of four, like the Nick and Nora Coupe Cocktail Glasses or the Art Deco Nick & Nora Coupe Glasses. If you host, jump to the Retro Nick & Nora Coupe Glasses set of six – running short mid-party is the one regret people mention. Then choose a style era: Art Deco ribbing for vintage warmth, clean modern lines for something quieter, or the Venus Nick and Nora Cocktail Glasses for a softer, seashell-curved bowl.

On spend: a good set of four sits between $33 and $50, and there is little reason to go higher unless you specifically want a heavier crystal set like the Art Deco Champagne and Cocktail Coupe Glasses. Put the saving toward a bottle of decent vermouth instead. If a martini is your everyday drink, keep a Nick & Nora set and Modern Martini Glasses side by side and let the drink decide.

Best stirred cocktails to pour in them

Martini, Manhattan, Vesper, Martinez, gimlet, and Bijou all belong in a Nick and Nora, chilled and strained without ice.

Every classic stirred, up cocktail belongs here. The Martini and the Manhattan are the obvious two, but the Vesper, the Martinez, the gimlet, and the Bijou all get the same benefit: a narrow rim that holds the chill and a bowl small enough that the last sip is as cold as the first. If your bar cart also pours rocks drinks for a mixed crowd, set the Santorini Lowball Cocktail Glasses next to your Nick & Nora set so nobody ends up drinking an Old Fashioned out of stemware.

Best Nick and Nora Glasses: FAQ

What are Nick and Nora glasses for?

Nick and Nora glasses are for stirred cocktails served up, chilled and strained without ice. Martini, Manhattan, Vesper, Martinez, gimlet and Bijou all belong in one. The 5 to 6 oz bowl and long stem keep the drink cold and steady from the first sip to the last. They are not meant for iced drinks, Champagne or anything shaken with foam.

Why do they call it a Nick and Nora glass?

The glass is named after Nick and Nora Charles, the cocktail-loving detective couple in the 1934 film The Thin Man, based on Dashiell Hammett's novel. The small stemmed shape suited their witty, well-dressed drinking, and the modern craft cocktail movement revived both the glass and the name in the early 2010s.

What is the difference between a Nick and Nora glass and a coupe glass?

A coupe is wide and shallow with an open rim, built to show off a drink and pour Champagne. A Nick and Nora is narrower and deeper with a smaller rim, built to keep a stirred cocktail cold and prevent spills. Both are stemmed and serve drinks up and hold roughly 5 to 6 oz, but the coupe spills more easily and warms faster.

What is the history of the Nick and Nora glass?

Small stemmed cocktail glasses like this were common in the 1920s and 1930s, but the Nick and Nora name is modern, taken from the 1934 film The Thin Man. The craft cocktail revival of the early 2010s brought the shape back, with bartenders reissuing a version based on a vintage glass.

How many ounces is a Nick and Nora glass?

Most Nick and Nora glasses hold 5 to 6 oz to the rim and are designed around a 3 to 4 oz pour. Glassique Cadeau's Nick and Nora Coupe, Art Deco, and Retro sets all measure 5 oz. That smaller capacity, versus the 8 to 10 oz of an oversized martini glass, is why the drink stays cold.

Are Nick and Nora glasses dishwasher safe?

Nick and Nora glasses are made from durable lead-free glass and hold up to normal use, but hand washing is the safest way to protect the rim and clarity over years of pouring. Skip abrasive pads, dry with a soft cloth, and store upright rather than rim-down.

Pair with: Nick & Nora glasses, coupe glasses, martini glasses.

Eight glasses, one shape doing the real work: a narrow rim and a deep bowl that keep a stirred drink cold until the last sip. Every Glassique Cadeau set arrives in our signature satin-lined gift box, and orders over $89 ship free.

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