Shot glass necklace: a cord round your neck, the glass always within reach, both hands free – and most versions of that are sweated through, bent out of shape or simply in the bin after two hours of the party. It doesn't have to go that way. Here we show you what actually matters in a shot glass necklace, when the sturdy version is worth it and where it earns its keep – from the hen do to the wine festival.
Last updated: September 4, 2026
What is a shot glass necklace?
A shot glass necklace is a small drinking vessel on a cord that you hang round your neck or off your belt – the classic from the fancy dress shop is a plastic bead chain with a cup glued to it, built for one evening. The sturdy version is made of real glass with a holder that comes off, gets washed and gets used again. Both solve the same problem: you don't have to carry your glass through the whole party or keep hunting for where you put it down.
💡 By the way: exactly that principle – glass, binding and a small ski as a set – is what sits behind our Miniski bundle with bindings and glasses.
Disposable plastic or reusable glass?
Most shot glass necklaces you find in a fancy dress shop or online are built for a single evening: thin plastic, a glued-on bead chain, usually under a euro each. That works as long as you bin it the moment the party is over – with ten people on a hen do, that's ten pieces of plastic in the bin, every year again.
The alternative to that isn't a new principle, just a different material: a real shot glass that clicks into a solid holder, mounted on a small wooden ski. An eyelet is already fitted to the binding – and there's your fixing point for the cord. After the party the glass goes in the dishwasher, the binding stays where it is, and by the next party everything is ready to go again. The ski look is no accident either – it's the recognition value the plastic version never had.
The difference lies in the principle: you buy a plastic chain new for every party, because afterwards it either doesn't look good any more or it breaks on the spot. A set of glass and binding you buy once and take along for years – to the next party, to a friend's hen do, to carnival the year after next. What never builds up: the plastic waste that ten disposable necklaces leave behind after a single evening.
Shot glass necklace: build & assembly in detail
The principle is simple: the 1.4 oz shot glass in ski-boot shape clicks into a binding, and the binding is screwed firmly onto the small wooden ski. To wear it, there's an eyelet already fitted to the binding: hook in the lanyard cord, and the binding with the glass hangs round your neck. Unlike the disposable chain from the fancy dress shop, every part comes off on its own with us: rinse the glass, leave the binding on, next round.
At the hen do
On a hen do the maths is usually the same: one group, a day full of stops, and at the end the glasses should still be there. Disposable chains tend to tear after a few hours – the binding with its eyelet lasts the whole day, no matter how many stops, photos and challenges are still to come. How to plan the rest of the day around it is in our overview of hen do ideas, and how the glass works as a team-bride marker is in our hen do deep dive.
At carnival and fancy dress parties
As a costume accessory, the shot glass necklace works particularly well when the theme is heading towards drinking or a mountain hut anyway – the ski look slots in effortlessly, without you having to craft anything extra for it. And because the material is glass rather than plastic, it also survives a long fancy dress party, while the plastic chains from the fancy dress shop tend to give up a good deal earlier. The one place it doesn't belong is the street on the big parade days: glass – drinking glasses included – is often banned there, and the rules differ from town to town – more on that in our carnival costume guide. More programme for the whole party is in our carnival games for adults.
At the wine festival, the music festival and the summer party
At a wine festival or a summer garden party the set makes just as much of an impression as it does in a ski resort – your hands stay free for a glass of wine in one and a plate in the other, while your own shot hangs ready on the cord. At festivals in particular, where glasses otherwise get lost or knocked over all the time – provided the festival allows glass at all, since many sites and campsites ban it – wearing it is the actual advantage – not the drinking moment itself, but the fact that your glass is on you all day without you having to spare it a thought.
If you want to wear the glass for a longer stretch without anything sloshing out on the way: put the cork on, and take it off again for the first toast.
The advantage over the classic beer cup from the festival bar: a necklace glass doesn't get lost so easily, because it stays on your body all the time instead of standing around somewhere in the grass. And because it's small and light, after an hour you barely notice you're wearing it – until the next toast comes round.
Care: after the party is before the party
The whole advantage over the disposable version hangs on one single step: separate glass and binding after the party, glass into the dishwasher, binding stored dry. That stretches the lifespan from one evening to many years – the only difference to the plastic chain is that you don't forget this one move.
Anyone with several sets, or giving them away as gifts, will find practical storage in our party gondola for 4x Miniski – four assembled mini-skis fit in there exactly, ready to hand for the next party instead of loose in a drawer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I attach the shot glass to the cord?
The eyelet is already fitted to the binding, and that's where you hook in the lanyard cord – no gluing, no crafting, done in one move.
Is a necklace shot glass dishwasher safe?
Yes, the shot glass itself is dishwasher safe. The easiest way is to take it out of the binding first – that keeps the binding dry, so it lasts longer.
How much fits in a necklace glass like this?
4 cl (40 ml, about 1.4 oz) – enough for one moment, not for the whole evening. If you want to top up more often, you simply refill instead of hunting for a bigger glass.
Does the necklace glass work without the ski reference?
Yes – the ski look is the styling, not a requirement for the occasion. At a wine festival, at carnival or on a hen do it stands out just as much as it does in a ski resort, simply as an accessory in its own right.
How is it different from the plastic chain from the fancy dress shop?
Material and durability: the plastic chain is built for one evening and lands in the bin afterwards. Glass and binding come apart, can be cleaned and reused as often as you like.
Does a shot glass necklace work as a gift?
Yes, precisely because it's ready to use straight away and doesn't land in the bin after one evening. If you're giving several sets away, the best move is to combine them with the party gondola for storage – then the gift stays tidy after the first party too.