Shot Glass

Despite being the simplest piece of glassware in a bartender’s arsenal, the shot glass (also known as a shooter) can be surprisingly complicated. They come in all shapes and sizes, generally ranging from one to two ounces in volume (though occasionally as much as three), and can be used to serve everything from a shot of straight liquor to a layered or shaken mixed drink.

Shot glasses also vary in design, from the squat, semi-V-shaped style (like our silhouette here) to tall, narrow tequila shooters, and everything in between. Essentially, the only defining characteristic is that they have a small volume, and are intended for knocking a drink back all at once rather than sipping it.

Many popular drinks are served in shot glasses, like the Kamikaze Shot, the Washington Apple, the Jägerbomb (a shot of Jägermeister dropped into an Old-Fashioned glass filled with Red Bull), the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, and the Four Horsemen, among hundreds of others—though the quality may vary.