Holiday Glassware

How to Choose Holiday Glassware

When you're planning for the holidays, a lot of care goes into things like menu creation, invitations, decor and drinks -- but did you remember the glassware?

The amount of holiday glassware you need might surprise you. It's completely possible that people go through two or three glasses a night. It may even be more if you change a glass every time you pour a new wine or beverage.

Christmas Glasses Mix In With Your Other Glasses

If you've already got glasses you love, you can select Christmas glasses that will mix in with your current stemware or rocks glasses.

• Use the holidays as the perfect time to stock up on the barware you've been craving. Cocktail glasses, martini glasses, Champagne flutes and more are all a reasonable investment this time of year.
• For seasonal flair you can enjoy year-round, pick glassware with gold rims, monograms or other high-design touches.
• Go sculptural for drama. Look for glasses with bold designs, skillful glassmaking or incredible artistic features, like martini glasses with a reindeer base.

Stock Your Bar with Christmas Drinkware

There are a few types of glassware everyone should have on hand. Review your at-home bar to see what you need to pick up for the holiday season.

• Make sure you have plenty of red and white wine glasses. Even if you were planning to serve one kind, guests are likely to bring more wine, so it's always a good idea to have an alternate on hand for people's various preferences.
• Prepare for lots of martini-making. Once you start making them, everyone will want one.
• If you plan to make a lot of cocktails, you can choose to also have cocktail glasses on hand, but martini glasses are great multi-taskers, too.
• Rocks glasses are another multitasker. Look for stackable ones to save space after the party is over.

Mix and Match with Holiday Place Settings

Have fun matching new glassware to your holiday place settings, too.

• If you choose to bulk up your current glassware collection, you're good to go with clear glass or crystal looks.
• If you like the idea of specialty holiday glasses, select cranberry red glass or gold rims to match gold-rimmed plates.
• Select monograms that match platters, chargers or service buckets you may have already chosen.

Don't Forget Coffee Mugs

As you take your time selecting glassware for entertaining or celebrating, don't forget to have a little fun. Pick up a few holiday-themed coffee mugs to make the season merry and bright. Then, pour yourself a drink in one of your new glasses.