Comparison
Collins Glass vs Highball Glass
Collins glass vs highball glass: how the two tall tumblers differ in size and shape, which drinks suit each, and why one set is enough.
Walk down a glassware aisle and you will find tall tumblers labeled highball beside near-identical ones labeled Collins. The gap between them is real but small, and for most home bars it comes down to a few ounces of height and width rather than a different way of drinking.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Are they really different glasses?
Barely. Both are tall, straight-sided tumblers meant for long drinks poured over plenty of ice, and bartenders tend to grab whichever sits closest.
The difference is proportion. A Collins runs taller and narrower and usually holds 10 to 14 ounces; a highball is a little shorter and wider at roughly 8 to 12 ounces. The ranges overlap around the middle, which is why a recipe that names one rarely suffers when you serve it in the other, including the top collins glasses. The slimmer Collins also exposes less surface at the top, so a fizzy drink keeps its bubbles a touch longer.
How do the two compare side by side?
Set the two next to each other and the pattern is clear: same family, slightly different build.
| Point | Highball | Collins |
|---|
| Typical size | 8 to 12 oz | 10 to 14 oz |
| Shape | Shorter, wider | Taller, narrower |
| Holding fizz | Good | Slightly better |
| Typical drinks | Gin and tonic, rum and Coke | Tom Collins, gin fizz |
Which drinks suit each glass?
The highball takes its name from a drink style: a spirit topped with a larger share of mixer over ice. Whiskey and soda, gin and tonic and rum and cola all fit, and it is the everyday glass for simple two-ingredient pours.
The Collins was shaped around the Tom Collins, a mix of gin, lemon, sugar and soda, along with its whiskey cousin the John Collins and other fizzes. Extra height leaves room for more ice and soda. In practice a highball handles those drinks well, and a Collins makes a perfectly good gin and tonic, so the choice is mostly about how tall you like the drink to look.
Do you need both a Collins and a highball?
No. Because the two are so close, owning both means buying the same glass twice. A single set of tall tumblers around 12 to 14 ounces handles the cocktails of both names, along with water, iced tea and juice.
If you are choosing that set, see the best collins glasses for sets in sizes from 10 to 16 ounces.
The truly different shape is the rocks glass, short and wide and made for spirit-forward drinks such as an Old Fashioned. A tall glass plus a short one handles almost everything you will pour, so there is no need to chase every named shape.
Frequently asked
Is Jack and Coke a highball?
Yes. By definition a highball pairs a spirit with a generous pour of mixer over ice, and whiskey with cola fits that exactly.
Does a Collins glass go by other names?
Many people simply say tall tumbler and treat it as a highball. The Collins label itself traces back to the Tom Collins cocktail.