Best Shot Glasses in Australia (2026)

Shot glasses look like the least complicated thing you will ever buy for a kitchen, right up until the box lands and every glass holds nearly twice what you thought a shot was. Most sets sold here are built around the American 1.5 oz pour, which is 44 mL. The Australian Government Department of Health lists 30 mL of 40 per cent spirit as one standard drink, so most of what is on sale here is sized to a measure that is not ours.

That is the number we built this guide around. Every set below is ranked on the capacity its own listing states in millilitres, converted from ounces where the seller quotes only ounces, along with base weight, set size and whether the maker allows a dishwasher. Every pick is a shot glass set for a home bar, not a plastic party cup, a disposable cup or a single novelty glass. Souvenir and engraved shot glasses are a separate market served by gift shops, and this guide does not rank them.

What are the best shot glasses in Australia?

For most homes the answer is the Oggi Tall Shot Glasses set of 6, a 59 mL tall glass with a thick weighted base that goes in the dishwasher and doubles as an espresso or liqueur glass. If you are buying for a crowd rather than a cupboard, the Vivimee 30 Pack Heavy Base Shot Glasses puts thirty square 65 mL glasses on the bench for one delivery. And if you simply want six honest glasses that will not hurt when one goes off the edge of the counter, the LAV Aras 45 mL set of 6 is the cheapest of our seven picks and still carries a 4.8 star average across hundreds of reviews.

Four more sets round the guide out: a cut crystal pack from Nachtmann for the bar cart, a gold leaf set from DUJUST built to be given away, a six colour set so guests stop losing track of their glass, and a hand painted ceramic set for anyone who takes tequila seriously.

How do the top shot glass sets compare?

Capacity is the column to read first. Anything at 55 mL or more is a big glass by Australian measures; the 44 mL to 45 mL sets sit closest to a standard nip with headroom.

How we chose these shot glasses

• Capacity had to be stated in millilitres, or in ounces we could convert, because a glass whose volume is a mystery cannot measure a pour.
• Ratings and review counts came from the live Amazon Australia listing for each product, and we kept sets with enough feedback behind the score to mean something.
• Prices, listing specifications and product details were checked fresh on the day this guide was written, straight from each product page.
• Care instructions were read off the listing rather than assumed, so the dishwasher and hand wash notes below match what the maker actually says.

Best shot glasses overall: Oggi Tall Shot Glasses, set of 6

The Oggi set is the one we would put in a first kitchen without much thought. It is a tall cylindrical glass rather than the stubby tapered shape most cheap sets use, and at 59 mL it takes a full pour with the top few millimetres left clear. The listing puts it at 4.8 stars across 189 reviews, which is a strong score for a glass this ordinary looking.

What makes it work day to day is the base. Oggi describes it as a heavy base design, and the weight sits low enough that the glass does not skitter when you knock the bench. The taller silhouette also stops it being a single purpose object: it takes an espresso, a limoncello, a small panna cotta, or a measured serve of olive oil for a recipe. In a small apartment kitchen where cupboard space is the real currency, a glass that earns three jobs beats a glass that earns one.

The materials page lists it as real glass, BPA free and dishwasher safe, and the set arrives as six pieces. The finish is meant to look presentable rather than utilitarian, and it is the pick that asks least of you before it starts being useful.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Two ounces is an American measure, not an Australian one, so a full glass sits above a 30 mL nip. Use a jigger if you want the pour to match the measure. The tall shape is also slightly more tippy than a squat glass when it is empty, and six glasses will not stretch across a big party without a second set.

Best for parties and big batches: Vivimee 30 Pack Square Shot Glasses

If you host, thirty glasses in one box changes the maths. The Vivimee set gives you square heavy base glasses at 65 mL each, which is the largest per glass capacity of our picks, and it holds a 4.8 star average across more than 1,100 reviews. It is also the only pick here with more than a dozen glasses in the set.

The square footprint is the clever part. Round shot glasses roll when they tip and they waste tray space; these sit shoulder to shoulder on a serving tray and take up a rectangle of bench instead of a scatter. Each glass measures 50 mm across and 58 mm tall, so they stack neatly into a cupboard shelf without the wobbling tower you get from tapered glasses. The listing rates them dishwasher safe and lead free, which matters when thirty of them come back dirty at midnight and nobody is hand washing anything.

Vivimee pitches them for espresso as much as spirits, and that is fair: 65 mL is a workable ristretto or a small tasting pour of dessert wine. For a share house, a cricket season backyard or a Christmas lunch where the extended family arrives at once, one box covers the table, and there is enough spare in it that breaking two is an inconvenience rather than a problem.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Sixty five millilitres is a lot of glass to fill, so treat these as tasting or espresso glasses rather than a measure. The square edges are also more exposed than a rounded rim, so they chip if you tumble them loose in a dishwasher basket. And thirty glasses need somewhere to live, which is a real consideration in a unit kitchen.

Best budget shot glasses: LAV Aras 45 mL, set of 6

The LAV Aras set is the cheapest of our seven picks and the one we would hand to anyone furnishing a first place on a tight budget. Six 45 mL glasses from a long established Turkish glassmaker, rated 4.8 stars across 429 reviews, with a faceted body that is genuinely functional rather than decorative.

LAV describes the multi faceted shape as promoting stability and balance, and says a knocked glass is less likely to roll off a surface. At 45 mL the capacity sits near the bottom of our range: a 30 mL nip sits well inside the glass with room to add a mixer or a splash of liqueur.

The listing rates them dishwasher safe, and the ridged surface hides the water spotting that plagues plain glass in hard water areas like parts of Adelaide and Perth. LAV sells this shape across its wider Aras range, so the glasses sit visually alongside tumblers from the same family if you build the collection out later.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The base is not the chunky slab you get on the heavy base sets, so these feel lighter in the hand and read as everyday rather than special occasion. The faceted surface takes a moment longer to polish dry than a smooth glass. And at 45 mL there is no room to load ice, so they are strictly for neat pours and small liqueurs.

Best crystal shot glasses: Nachtmann Noblesse 55 mL, pack of 4

Nachtmann is the pick for the shelf you actually look at. The Noblesse shot glass is machine made crystal with the deep vertical cut of the wider Noblesse range, holds 55 mL, comes as a pack of four, and carries a 4.8 star average across more than 1,600 reviews. It is also the dearest of our picks.

The cut is what you pay for. Light breaks across the vertical grooves in a way flat sided glass cannot manage, and because the pattern runs the full height of the glass, it reads as a set piece next to a decanter rather than as barware you dug out of a drawer. Nachtmann has been making crystal since 1834 and has sat inside the Riedel group since 2004, so the Noblesse line is designed to match: there is a matching decanter, whisky tumblers and a beer mug in the same cut if you want the bar cart to look deliberate.

Practically, each glass measures 5 cm wide by 6.1 cm tall and the set weighs 363 grams for four, which tells you these are substantial rather than delicate. Crucially for a crystal product, Nachtmann rates the Noblesse shot glass dishwasher safe on the listing, so the cut pattern does not commit you to hand washing every time. It arrives individually boxed, which makes it an easy present to pass on without repackaging.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Four glasses is a small set, so a dinner party of six means buying two packs. The deep cut pattern collects fingerprints and needs a polish cloth to look its best. And crystal is heavier and less forgiving than soda lime glass when it meets a tiled floor, so this is not the set to carry outdoors.

Best shot glasses for gifting: DUJUST 24K Gold Leaf Crystal Shot Glasses

The DUJUST set exists to be given away. Six 44 mL (1.5 oz) glasses, each with 24 karat gold leaf flakes suspended in the thick base and a hand applied gold rim, and the most reviewed set in this guide at over 2,300 reviews behind a 4.7 star average.

Gift glassware usually fails one of two tests: it either looks cheap in the hand or it is too fragile to actually use. This set passes both. DUJUST describes the base as roughly 30 per cent heavier than comparable glasses, and the weight is where the impression comes from when someone picks one up. The gold flakes sit under the pour rather than on it, so they catch the light through whatever you have poured without touching the drink. At 44 mL the capacity is the most restrained of our picks, which suits a sipping liqueur, a limoncello after dinner or an amaro.

The measurements are 33 mm across and 75 mm tall, a narrow tall profile that photographs well on a table setting, which is part of why this set turns up on wedding and engagement lists. The listing describes the glass as BPA free. If you are buying a housewarming or Christmas present and want something that looks like it cost more than it did, this is the set to reach for.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

DUJUST lists these as hand wash only, and with a gold rim that instruction is worth following, so they are not the set for a big cleanup. The narrow shape means a tea towel corner does not reach the bottom easily. And decorative glassware is a taste call: if the recipient likes plain glass, the gold leaf will not win them over.

Best coloured shot glasses: the mask el turko Colored Shot Glass Set

This is the set that solves the problem nobody plans for, which is six identical glasses on a bench and nobody remembering which one is theirs. Six 52 mL glasses in green, yellow, red, purple, blue and pink, with a heavy mini base, rated 4.8 stars across 234 reviews.

Colour coding is genuinely useful once you are past the novelty. At a table of six, a coloured glass ends the shuffling and the quiet resignation of pouring a fresh one because you cannot tell which was yours. The 52 mL capacity is towards the middle of our picks and the glasses measure 40 mm across by 50 mm tall, a squat shape that sits low and stable, which is the opposite trade off to the tall Oggi glasses.

The colour runs through the body of the glass rather than being printed on the outside, so there is no decal edge to peel at the rim, and the listing describes the set as lead free with machine wash care. The set also earns its keep away from spirits: coloured 50 mL glasses are handy for portioning sauces or handing a kid a small drink at a party where everyone else has a wine glass.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The listing describes the material as a crystal and plastic mix, which is vaguer than we would like, so treat these as everyday glasses rather than heirlooms. Coloured glass also hides how clean it is, so hold one up to the light before you serve. And if your kitchen palette is all white and timber, six bright colours will stand out on the shelf.

Best shot glasses for tequila: Roshtia Talavera Ceramic Shot Glasses

Roshtia makes the only ceramic set among our seven picks, and it is the highest rated of them at a perfect 5.0 star average across 36 reviews. Six hand decorated 59 mL (2 oz) cups in the blue and white Talavera folk art style, sold as a set with a matching motif rather than as a mixed lot.

Ceramic changes the drink. An opaque cup gives you nothing to look at, which sounds like a loss until you are drinking something you want to taste rather than assess, and the thicker wall keeps a chilled pour cold for longer than thin glass does. Traditional Mexican caballito and copita cups are ceramic for the same reason. If you have moved past mixing tequila and buy bottles you would sip, this suits that habit.

The set weighs 726 grams for six, so each cup has real heft, and the decoration is a blue and white pattern applied over a white ground. Roshtia lists the care as hand wash only and notes the cups are not microwave safe, which is what you would expect from decorated ceramic. As a gift for someone who collects mezcal or has a Mexican cooking habit, it lands better than another glass set, and at six pieces it is a genuine serving set rather than a pair of ornaments.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Hand painted means small variation between cups, which is the point but can surprise anyone expecting factory uniformity. Hand wash only is a real cost if your household defaults to the dishwasher. And because you cannot see the level through the wall, pouring an even round of six takes more care than it does with glass.

Which shot glasses should you buy?

Match the set to the way the glasses will actually be used rather than to the nicest photograph.

What should you look for in shot glasses?

Capacity first, base second, care instructions third. Everything else is styling.

Capacity in millilitres. This is the spec that trips Australians up, because most listings are written for the American market where a shot is 1.5 oz, or 44 mL. Our picks run from 44 mL to 65 mL. For a glass that reads as one nip when filled, look in the 30 mL to 45 mL band; for one that doubles as an espresso or tasting glass, 55 mL to 65 mL is the useful range. Find the millilitre figure on the listing rather than trusting the photo.

Base weight. A heavy base lowers the centre of gravity so the glass does not tip when nudged, gives the glass weight in the hand, and adds thermal mass so a chilled pour warms more slowly. The trade off is that thick bases push the glass taller for the same volume, and a very thick base can make a 44 mL glass look deceptively large. Most of the glass picks in this guide are built around a heavy or weighted base.

Material. Standard soda lime glass is the default and the most forgiving. Crystal, like the Nachtmann set, is heavier and cuts light better, but it costs more and is less tolerant of a hard knock. Ceramic, like the Roshtia set, is opaque, insulates well and suits sipping spirits. Coloured glass mostly solves the problem of telling glasses apart.

Set size. Six is the standard household set and covers a dinner party. Four, as with the Nachtmann pack, suits a couple or a display shelf. Thirty, as with the Vivimee box, is a hosting decision rather than a kitchen one. Buy for the largest group you actually host.

Care instructions. Two of our seven picks are listed as hand wash only: the DUJUST gold leaf set and the Roshtia ceramic set. The Oggi, Vivimee, LAV and Nachtmann sets are rated dishwasher safe by their makers, and the mask el turko listing states machine wash care. If your household runs a dishwasher on autopilot, that single line on the listing will decide whether the set survives its first year.

If you find yourself wanting something bigger for mixed drinks rather than neat pours, our guide to the best cocktail glasses in Australia covers the coupes and martini glasses that sit at the other end of the same cupboard.

How do you care for shot glasses?

Follow the maker instruction on the listing first, then treat glass like glass. The dishwasher safe sets here are the Oggi, Vivimee, LAV and Nachtmann sets. Load them on the top rack, spaced so rims cannot touch: most chips happen when two glasses rattle together during a cycle rather than during use.

For the hand wash only sets, the DUJUST gold leaf glasses and the Roshtia ceramic cups, use warm water and a little dish soap and dry them straight away. A gold rim and a hand applied ceramic decoration both dislike long soaks and abrasive scourers.

Cloudiness on clear glass is usually mineral deposit from hard water rather than damage, and it responds to a soak in warm water with white vinegar, then a polish with a lint free microfibre cloth while the glass is still slightly warm. Store a large set upright rather than rim down: rims are the thinnest part of the glass and take the damage when they carry weight.

What else do you need for a home bar?

A set of glasses is the start. These six items make pouring at home feel organised.

• Avanti Spirit Jigger 30/60 mL, the single most useful thing on this list, because the 30 mL end is the Australian standard drink measure.
• OXO Steel Double Jigger if you want a heavier measure with interior markings for part pours.
• Proxima Direct Bar Mat 45 x 30 cm to catch spills and stop glasses sliding on a stone bench.
• ZEAYEA Stainless Steel Round Serving Trays, 6 pack for carrying a round out to the deck without a juggling act.
• MR.SIGA Premium Microfibre Cloths, 6 pack for polishing glasses to a streak free finish after washing.
• YARRAMATE Silicone Ice Cube Trays with Lid, 2 pack for large cubes that melt slowly in chilled pours.

The competition: what we did not pick

The Luigi Bormioli Mixology shot glasses are a good 70 mL lead crystal set of six from a serious Italian glassmaker at about $49. We left them out because the feedback base on the Australian listing is thin, at 16 reviews, and at 70 mL the pour sits even further from an Australian nip than our largest pick.

Ecology makes a Classic Shot Glass 70 mL set of six at about $16, and it is a familiar name in Australian homewares. It has two reviews on the listing, which is not enough to rank it against sets with hundreds.

The getDigital Magic Potion set is a fun four piece of conical laboratory style glasses at 4 cL each, with the kind of review depth we look for. It missed out on two practical points: four glasses is a short set for hosting, and the shape is a novelty people tire of faster than they expect.

Stainless steel sets, like the TOPMEET four piece with a leather case, are worth knowing about for camping because they do not break in a pack. We did not rank one: the listings we looked at had too little feedback behind them, and steel changes the drinking experience enough to be a specific purchase rather than a household default.

Shot glass questions Australians ask

How many mL is a standard shot in Australia?

A standard nip of spirits in Australia is 30 mL. The Australian Government Department of Health lists 30 mL of 40 per cent spirit as one standard drink, and defines a standard drink as 10 grams of pure alcohol. Most shot glasses sold online are made to the American 1.5 oz measure, which is 44 mL, so a glass filled to the rim holds more than the Australian measure.

Are heavy base shot glasses better?

A heavy base makes a shot glass more stable and more pleasant to hold, and it helps a chilled pour stay cold slightly longer. The thick slab of glass at the bottom lowers the centre of gravity so the glass is less likely to tip when it is knocked. The trade off is that a heavy base makes the glass look larger than its actual capacity, so always check the millilitre figure on the listing.

Can you put shot glasses in the dishwasher?

It depends entirely on the set, and the listing will tell you. Of our seven picks, the Oggi, Vivimee, LAV and Nachtmann sets are rated dishwasher safe by their makers, while the DUJUST gold leaf set and the Roshtia ceramic set are listed as hand wash only. Decorated rims, gold detailing and hand painted ceramic are the features most likely to come with a hand wash instruction.

How many shot glasses do you need for a party?

Plan on more glasses than guests, because people put a glass down and lose track of it. A set of six covers a dinner party, a set of twelve covers a decent gathering, and something like the Vivimee 30 pack covers a birthday or a big Christmas lunch without anyone washing up mid party. Buying one large set is simpler than buying several small ones that do not match.

What is the difference between a shot glass and a cordial glass?

A shot glass is a straight sided or slightly tapered vessel of roughly 30 mL to 65 mL made for a quick neat pour, while a cordial glass is usually stemmed and shaped to be sipped slowly. Cordial and liqueur glasses often hold a similar volume but the stem keeps your hand off the bowl, which matters more for a drink you nurse than for one you finish in a mouthful.

What else should you set up for the kitchen and bar?

Shot glasses are one shelf of a larger project. These guides cover the rest of the glassware and the kitchen kit around it.

• Best wine glasses in Australia for the everyday glasses that get used the most.
• Best cocktail shaker sets in Australia if you want to make the drinks rather than just pour them.
• Best decanters in Australia for the centrepiece that pairs with a cut crystal set.
• Best beer glasses in Australia to finish the glassware cupboard.
• Best cheese boards in Australia for the food that should be on the table alongside.
• Kitchen essentials checklist if you are still working out what a first kitchen actually needs.

About the author

Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au