The Nick and Nora glass is the quiet star of the modern cocktail bar: a small, bell-shaped bowl on a long stem, holding a drink that feels generous without ever being too much. Order a stirred martini or a Manhattan in a serious bar today and there is a good chance it will arrive in one. Yet few people know where the name comes from, or why bartenders came to prefer this modest shape over the showier V. As a family retailer that has been advising hosts and collectors since 1887, we are often asked whether it deserves a place in a home bar. This guide traces its story from 1930s Hollywood to its revival, explains how it differs from the martini glass and the coupe, and shows how to choose a crystal version worth keeping.
Where the name comes from: The Thin Man
Nick and Nora Charles are fictional. They are the detective couple created by Dashiell Hammett and brought to the screen in 1934. According to Britannica’s entry on The Thin Man, the film was directed by W.S. Van Dyke, starred William Powell and Myrna Loy, was based on Hammett’s novel of the same year and spawned five sequels. Britannica describes the pair as being as adept at banter and crime-solving as they were at matching one another martini for martini, and their cocktail habit was a big part of their appeal to Depression-era audiences.
It is worth being precise here, because the story is often told loosely. The films did not “invent” a glass, and the name did not exist in the 1930s. What survived was an image: elegant, witty people drinking cold, well made cocktails from small stemmed glasses. That image is what inspired the name decades later.
From “Little Martini” to icon of the cocktail revival
The modern chapter begins in New York in the late 1980s, with the bartender Dale DeGroff, who led the bar at the Rainbow Room. Looking for glassware that suited classic, pre-Prohibition style drinks, he found a small glass listed as the “Little Martini” in a 1930s catalogue from the glassware company Minners Designs. As VinePair recounts in its history of the glass, DeGroff began calling it the Nick and Nora, after the Thin Man couple, and the nickname eventually became the official name when the manufacturer Steelite International adopted it.
DeGroff’s philosophy explains the appeal. In a feature by Wine Enthusiast on how the glass moved from the silver screen to the cocktail bar, he is quoted as saying that a great drink is “15 cold sips” and should not be sitting around getting warm. A smaller glass makes that possible. The same article notes that Audrey Saunders, his protégé, used the glass at Pegu Club in Manhattan, and that Julie Reiner adopted it at Bemelmans Bar and Clover Club, which helped carry it into the wider world of craft cocktail bars.
What began as one bartender’s search for the right proportions has since become one of the most widely used cocktail glasses in the world. For a design that started as a catalogue footnote, that is quite a career.
Anatomy of the shape
Put a Nick and Nora next to other stemmed cocktail glasses and the differences are immediately visible:
- A high-sided, rounded bowl that curves gently inwards or rises almost straight, rather than flaring outwards.
- A narrower mouth than a coupe or a V-shaped glass.
- A long, slender stem that keeps the hand well away from the drink.
- A moderate capacity, classically around 5 fl oz (about 150 ml).
Each of these details has a practical consequence. The narrower opening holds aromas closer to the nose, which Saunders has described as a way to accentuate the aromatics of aperitif-style cocktails. The taller walls mean the drink sits lower relative to the rim, so it is far less likely to slop over when carried. And the smaller volume encourages exactly the kind of short, cold drink DeGroff championed.
Nick and Nora vs martini glass vs coupe
All three glasses serve drinks “up”, meaning chilled with ice and strained into a glass without it. The choice between them is about proportion, handling and style.
Compared with the martini glass
The classic martini glass has a straight-sided cone that opens wide. It is dramatic and graphic, but the shallow angle makes spills easy, and over the decades many V-shaped glasses grew far larger than a proper martini needs. The Nick and Nora keeps the elegance of a stem while solving both problems: smaller volume, taller walls, fewer accidents.
Compared with the coupe
The coupe has a wide, shallow, rounded bowl. It is more forgiving than the V-shape and has a lovely vintage glamour, but its broad surface lets the drink warm and the aromas dissipate a little faster. The Nick and Nora is, in effect, a coupe drawn upwards and narrowed. If you love the coupe’s romance, our article on the elegant return of the Champagne coupe explores that shape and its history.
Which should you choose?
If you mostly serve stirred, spirit-forward drinks and appreciate aroma, the Nick and Nora is the most precise tool. If you want one glass that doubles for Champagne and cocktails at a party, a coupe is more versatile. The V-shape remains the choice for anyone who wants the most iconic silhouette on the tray. Many well stocked home bars end up with two of the three, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Which cocktails suit the Nick and Nora
The glass shines with drinks that are short, cold, served without ice and aromatic. Stirred classics are the obvious match:
Martini and its relatives. A dry gin martini, a Vesper or a Martinez all benefit from the smaller volume, which keeps the last sip nearly as cold as the first.
Manhattan and whisky classics. A Manhattan, a Rob Roy or a Brooklyn has rich, layered aromas that the narrower mouth concentrates beautifully.
Aperitif and vermouth-led drinks. Lower-strength stirred drinks built on vermouth or fortified wine, the kind often served before dinner, are exactly what Saunders had in mind when she praised the shape.
Elegant shaken sours. A gimlet, a daiquiri or a sidecar also works well. The taller walls hold a delicate foam or a fine layer of ice crystals, and the drink is less likely to spill on the way to the table.
What does not suit it? Long drinks, anything served over ice and large, fruit-heavy creations. For those, a highball or a tumbler is simply more practical. If you are building a complete bar and want an overview of which glass goes with which drink, our guide to types of drinking glasses covers the full range.
Choosing a crystal Nick and Nora
Because the glass is small and handled closely, material and finish matter more than you might expect. You feel the rim with every sip, and the bowl is always under the light.
Crystal or glass
The Corning Museum of Glass defines lead glass, commonly called lead crystal, as glass containing a high percentage of lead oxide, at least 20 percent of the batch, which gives it a refractive index that creates brilliance and a relative softness that suits wheel cutting. In a cocktail glass this translates into sparkle, the possibility of fine cut or engraved decoration, and a rim that can be worked thin. Lead-free crystalline glass is a sound alternative for households that prefer extra durability. Our complete buyer’s guide to luxury crystal glassware goes deeper into these materials and the maisons that work them.
Rim and stem
Run a finger along the rim. It should be smooth, even and fine, never rolled or thick. Then hold the glass by the stem: a good Nick and Nora feels balanced, with no sense that the bowl wants to tip. Hand-pulled stems often have a slight individuality that we find charming rather than a flaw.
Capacity
Stay close to the classic proportions. Modern interpretations sometimes creep upwards in size, but the whole point of the shape is a short, cold drink. A glass in the region of 150 to 180 ml gives room for a properly diluted martini or Manhattan without looking half empty.
Plain, cut or decorated
A plain, thin bowl puts the drink first and suits a minimalist bar. Fine cutting or engraving adds a sense of occasion and catches candlelight at dinner. If you are drawn to the great French houses, our comparison of Baccarat, Lalique and Saint-Louis crystal glasses will help you understand their different styles. Whatever you choose, think about the whole bar: tumblers, a decanter and your cocktail glasses should feel like they belong together.
Caring for fine cocktail glasses
Crystal Nick and Nora glasses reward a little care. Chill them with ice water for a minute before straining rather than moving them straight from a freezer, since thin crystal dislikes sudden temperature changes. Wash by hand in lukewarm water with a mild detergent, dry with a lint-free cloth while holding the bowl, never twisting against the stem, and store them upright with space around each glass. Treated this way, a good set lasts for generations and can be passed on with the rest of the family’s tableware.
Key takeaways
The Nick and Nora is a stemmed cocktail glass with a high-sided, rounded bowl, a narrow mouth and a moderate capacity of around 5 fl oz. It is named after Nick and Nora Charles, the martini-loving detectives created by Dashiell Hammett and played by William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man (1934). The name itself dates from the late 1980s, when bartender Dale DeGroff found a “Little Martini” glass in a 1930s Minners Designs catalogue for the Rainbow Room in New York; Steelite International later adopted the name officially. Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club and Julie Reiner helped spread it through the craft cocktail revival. Compared with a V-shaped martini glass, it spills less and holds less; compared with a coupe, it concentrates aromas and keeps drinks colder. It is ideal for stirred classics such as the martini and Manhattan, aperitif cocktails and elegant sours served up. When buying crystal versions, look for a fine rim, a balanced stem and classic proportions, and chill and wash them gently.
Frequently asked questions about the Nick and Nora glass
Why is it called a Nick and Nora glass?
It is named after Nick and Nora Charles, the cocktail-loving detective couple from Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man and the 1934 film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. Bartender Dale DeGroff gave the name to a 1930s “Little Martini” glass he used at the Rainbow Room in New York in the late 1980s.
What is the difference between a Nick and Nora and a coupe?
A coupe has a wide, shallow, rounded bowl, while a Nick and Nora has a taller, narrower bowl with a smaller mouth. The Nick and Nora concentrates aromas, keeps drinks cold longer and is less likely to spill; the coupe is more versatile for Champagne and larger cocktails.
How many ounces is a Nick and Nora glass?
The classic version holds about 5 US fluid ounces, roughly 150 ml, with some versions a little larger. That capacity suits a properly diluted stirred cocktail such as a martini or Manhattan.
What drinks are served in a Nick and Nora glass?
It is used for cocktails served up, without ice: martinis, Manhattans, Martinez, Rob Roy, aperitif and vermouth-based drinks, and elegant shaken sours such as the gimlet, daiquiri or sidecar. It is not suited to long drinks or cocktails served over ice.
Can you serve a martini in a Nick and Nora glass?
Yes. In fact the glass was originally sold as a “Little Martini”. Its smaller size keeps the drink cold to the last sip and its taller walls make spills far less likely than in a wide V-shaped martini glass.
A small glass with a long story
Few objects on a bar carry so much history in so little space. The Nick and Nora combines 1930s glamour with the practical wisdom of the bartenders who revived it, and in fine crystal it becomes something you will reach for every time you mix a stirred classic. Choose classic proportions, a fine rim and a style that suits the rest of your table.
Our team would be glad to help you compare collections or build a complete bar set. Contact us: ask our specialists for personal advice. If you would rather explore on your own, browse our cocktail glasses or Discover the collection: see the full Scopelliti 1887 selection.