Cocktail glasses should always be chilled. Fortunately, this requires minor preparation and receives major style points.

Place the glasses in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before serving. Polish or dry the glasses with a lint-free cloth before freezing them. You'll end up with giant craters on the glass surface if you don't.

Tidiness counts. Wet or sticky fingers from mixing will leave a mark almost as bad as a lipstick smudge.

If you're extremely motivated, you can dip the glasses into water, and put them dripping wet into the freezer for a few hours.

When you're short on time or freezer space, but have ice to spare, fill the glasses with ice cubes and water. After about five minutes, replace the contents with a cocktail. Make sure that the glass is empty of water, so you don't dilute your drinks.

You'll be able to tell whether you've properly chilled your glasses as soon as you pour your drinks. If an avalanche of frost rolls down the glass, you didn't freeze it long enough. If your glass defrosts as soon as the cocktail hits, you didn't shake or stir the drink long enough.