Home › Home & Kitchen › Kitchen & Dining › Dining & Entertaining › Glassware & Drinkware › Cocktail Glasses How to Rim a Cocktail Glass Published: July 9, 2026 · Updated: July 9, 2026
Run a citrus wedge around the rim to wet it, then dip the glass upside down into a plate of salt or sugar, twisting once so only the outer edge is coated. Rimming just the outside — not the inside — keeps the salt or sugar out of the drink so it seasons each sip instead of dissolving in.
Recommended Wet the rim with citrus, dip the outer edge in salt or sugar, and tap off the excess — A rim works by sticking a band of salt or sugar to the glass with something wet, and the one thing that separates a clean rim from a messy one is coating only the outside edge. Spread your salt (for a margarita or michelada) or sugar (for sweet and dessert cocktails) in a shallow, wide dish. Wet the rim by running a cut lime, lemon, or orange wedge around the outside lip — or dip the rim in a saucer of juice, syrup, or liqueur for more stick. Hold the glass upside down and lower just the outer edge into the salt or sugar, rotating it once, so the coating clings to the outside face and doesn't fall inside the glass. Lift it out, give a gentle tap to shed loose grains, and let it set for a minute before pouring. Half-rimming (coating only one side) lets the drinker choose each sip. Use coarse or flaky salt and coarse sugar for the best grip and look, and add zest or spices to the sugar for a flavored rim. Do it before you fill the glass, and keep the drink's own liquid off the rim as you pour.
