Highball, lowball, stemless, flute...Copa de Balon? Find out more about the latest glass shape you need to compliment your perfect G&T.

Picture the scene: You’ve made it to the weekend (congratulations!) and you’re about to pour yourself a glass of your favourite gin. You add your preferred tonic, plenty of ice, and maybe even a little garnish for that finishing touch. Ideal.

While many of us choose the first and largest glass available to us, choosing which glass to serve your G&T in can actually make all the difference to its final taste. Traditionally, gin and tonic is served in a Tom Collins glass. With its long shape, this glass can easily hold your favourite G&T. However, the problem with the Tom Collins is that the glass shape can melt the ice more quickly which dilutes the taste.

More recently, the Copa de Balon glass has emerged!

While you’ve probably already seen this type of glass in your favourite bar or restaurant, we thought we’d provide some background about this glass and why it’s the perfect companion for your preferred G&T.

What is a Copa de Balon glass?

Pronounced “Koh-pa”, the Copa de Balon glass translates roughly as “Balloon Cup”. The glass emerged as early as the 1700s within the Basque region of Northern Spain, and over time made its way to the US during the Prohibition Era. Since then, the Copa de Balon has grown in popularity, and is now the glass of choice for many when pouring a gin and tonic. The glass still remains popular in Spain today, since the country currently holds the largest gin drinkers in Europe!

Why is the Copa de Balon the perfect glass to serve G&T in?

With a shape similar to a standard wine glass, the Copa de Balon glass is essentially its rounder, wider friend. Its distinctive shape, with a long stem and wider bowl helps to enhance the flavour and bring out the best of your favourite G&T.

How does it do it?

Basically, the unique shape of the Copa de Balon makes your drink taste better because its wide bowl shape helps to collect the botanical scents of your gin. The glass is wide enough to fit plenty of ice and various garnishes inside the glass, which enhance the aromas of the gin and keep your drink cooler for longer! Due to its wider shape, this also means you can add in and experiment with several garnishes rather than the traditional lime wedge.

We always outline which garnishes complement our products to make the ‘perfect serve’, and these range from grapefruit peel and blackberries to sprigs of rosemary!