IPL match day party essentials: drinkware for every guest

There is a particular kind of energy that arrives with IPL season. The living room fills up faster than expected, the TV volume goes up three notches, and before the first over is bowled the drinks are already flowing. Hosting an IPL match day party in India is a full-contact sport in its own right — and like any sport, the right equipment makes all the difference. For the host, that equipment is drinkware. The right glasses for the right drinks, in enough quantity for every guest, is what separates a smoothly hosted IPL evening from a chaotic one where someone is always hunting for a clean glass in the kitchen.

This guide covers every drinkware essential you need for an IPL match day party — why each one matters, what to look for when choosing, and how to set everything up so the drinks stay flowing from the first ball to the last wicket.

Why drinkware matters more than you think on match day

Most IPL hosts focus all their preparation energy on food — what snacks to make, how much to order, whether the biryani arrives before the toss. Drinkware is treated as an afterthought, with guests served in whatever glasses happen to be in the cupboard. But the right drinkware makes a measurable difference to how a party feels. Guests who are handed a proper beer glass rather than a repurposed steel tumbler feel looked after. A well-set drinks table with matching glasses signals that the host has prepared thoughtfully, and that sets the tone for the whole evening.

Beyond the hosting impression, the right glass genuinely improves the drink inside it. A beer glass with the right width and rim lets the carbonation release properly and keeps the beer cooler longer. A proper water glass makes staying hydrated feel less like an interruption to the fun. Small details, but they add up across a three-hour match with a dozen guests.

The essential drinkware for your IPL match day party

Beer glasses

Beer is the undisputed drink of IPL season in India, and yet the humble beer glass is one of the most underrated pieces of drinkware in the Indian home. Most households serve beer straight from the bottle or pour it into whatever glass is available — a practice that wastes the experience of a properly poured, well-chilled beer entirely. A dedicated beer glass with a slightly tapered body and a wide mouth allows the aroma to develop, the carbonation to release naturally, and the cold temperature to hold longer than a bottle that warms in the hand within minutes.

For an IPL party with ten or more guests, a set of at least eight beer glasses ensures you can serve everyone in the first round without waiting for glasses to be washed. BlackCarrot's beer glasses are crafted from food-safe borosilicate glass — clear enough to show off the colour and pour of the beer, and durable enough to handle the kind of enthusiastic table-setting that comes with a tense last over.

Beer mugs

Where beer glasses are sleek and contemporary, beer mugs bring a different energy to match day — heavier, more substantial, and frankly more fun to drink from during a high-stakes chase. A good beer mug holds more than a standard glass, which means fewer refills and more time watching the match. The thick walls of a quality beer mug also keep the beer cooler for longer, which matters on warm IPL evenings when the air conditioning is working overtime for a full room of guests.

Having a mix of beer glasses and beer mugs on the drinks table gives guests a choice and adds visual variety to your setup. It is a small detail that makes the party feel more considered and less like everyone is drinking from identical vessels.

Water glass set

A water glass set is the most important and most overlooked drinkware essential for any IPL party. With a room full of guests, a loud television, and the kind of competitive energy that IPL generates, people drink more than they realise — and they need water as much as they need beer. Keeping a full set of water glasses on the drinks table, alongside a chilled water jug or carafe, means guests can hydrate between drinks without having to ask or search. This is particularly important for guests who are not drinking alcohol, who should never feel like second-class citizens at a well-hosted party.

A matching borosilicate water glass set that coordinates with your beer glasses ties the whole drinks table together visually and ensures your drinkware collection looks intentional rather than assembled from whatever was available. For a party of twelve, a set of twelve water glasses means every guest has one throughout the evening without any management required from the host.

Juice glasses

Not every IPL guest drinks alcohol, and a good host makes sure non-drinking guests are as well-served as everyone else. Juice glasses — shorter and slightly narrower than water glasses, sized for the smaller portions in which juice and cold drinks are typically served — are the right vessel for fresh nimbu paani, aam panna, cold coffee, or packaged juices. Serving these in proper juice glasses rather than mismatched tumblers shows guests that you have thought about them specifically, which is always appreciated.

For an IPL party, keeping a set of six to eight juice glasses stocked with two or three cold non-alcoholic drink options on the table means non-drinking guests always have something in hand — a small gesture that makes a significant difference to how included they feel throughout the evening.

Sippers and water bottles

For guests who prefer to keep their drink with them rather than returning to the table for refills — children, guests who move around the room, or anyone who does not want to risk a full glass on a crowded side table — a quality sipper or insulated water bottle is a practical and thoughtful addition to your IPL match day drinkware setup. Stainless steel double-wall sippers keep cold drinks cold for hours, which means less ice needed and less frequent refilling. They are particularly useful for keeping hydration options accessible throughout a long match without cluttering the main drinks table.

How much drinkware do you actually need for an IPL party

The most common hosting mistake on match day is running short on glasses mid-match. The general rule is to have at least one and a half times the number of glasses as guests — so for a party of twelve, you want at least eighteen glasses across your drinkware range. This accounts for the reality that guests often leave a glass somewhere, pick up a fresh one, and the original gets lost in the crowd until the end of the evening. For beer glasses specifically, having two per guest is not excessive for a three-hour match — people drink more than they expect to over the course of a full game.

Grouping your drinkware by type on the drinks table also makes the evening easier to manage. Beer glasses and mugs together, water glasses together with the water jug, juice glasses together with the cold drinks — guests can help themselves without interrupting the host, and refilling is faster because everything is already in one organised place.

Caring for your drinkware after match day

After a full IPL evening, a pile of glasses is inevitable — and how you clean them determines how long they stay looking their best. For borosilicate glass, handwashing with warm water and mild dish soap is gentler than a dishwasher, which can gradually cloud the finish of glass over many high-temperature cycles. Rinse glasses immediately after use rather than leaving beer or juice sitting in them overnight, as dried residue is significantly harder to remove and can leave a permanent film on the interior. Store glasses upright in a cupboard — not stacked inside each other, which risks chipping the rim under the weight of the glasses above.

Frequently asked questions

How many beer glasses do I need for an IPL party of 10?

A minimum of twelve to fifteen beer glasses is recommended for a party of ten — this accounts for the fact that guests drink more than expected over a full match and glasses get left around the room. Having a mix of beer glasses and beer mugs gives guests options and adds variety to the setup.

What is the best glass for serving beer at a home party?

A borosilicate beer glass with a tapered body and wide mouth is the best choice for home use — it keeps beer colder longer than a bottle, allows the aroma to develop properly, and is durable enough for party use. Beer mugs are a great complement for guests who prefer a heavier, more substantial drinking experience.

Should I have non-alcoholic drinkware at an IPL party?

Absolutely. Juice glasses and sippers for non-drinking guests are as important as beer glasses for the rest. A well-hosted party ensures every guest has the right vessel for their drink of choice — not just the guests who are drinking alcohol.

What material is best for party drinkware in India?

Borosilicate glass is the best choice for beer glasses, water glasses, and juice glasses — it is clear, food-safe, durable, and significantly more resistant to breakage than standard glass. For sippers and water bottles, stainless steel double-wall options are ideal for keeping drinks cold throughout a long match.

The takeaway

The best IPL match day parties are the ones where the host disappears into the crowd rather than the kitchen — where drinks are always ready, every guest has the right glass, and the focus stays on the cricket. With the right drinkware from BlackCarrot, that is exactly the kind of host you can be this IPL season. Set up your drinks table properly before the first guest arrives, and spend the rest of the evening watching the match.