Make the cut: five martini glasses to vamp up your bar cart as London Cocktail Week approaches

Call it the lingering effect of that stonking summer, or maybe we're all just drowning our sorrows at the state of the world, either way, Londoners just can't seem to get enough of cocktail hour.

An Espresso Martini Festival returned to London for the second year in August, to the delight of coffee lovers and cocktail fans alike, with 100 of London's top cocktail bars serving variations of the much-loved tipple.

Next month's London Cocktail Week is also becoming a fixture in the capital's calendar — and we'll all need to be well-equipped for entertaining by the time the party season rolls around.

So why not toast the last of summer with an investment in your own barware?

After all, the main ingredient of a good martini is the glass.

Mixed metallic glasses, with copper foiling and gold foiling, will jazz up any swish bar cart. A set of two costs £18 from Oliver Bonas.

For a timeless touch try hand-cut crystal. Inspired by Ralph Lauren's personal car collection, the elegant Bentley martini glass is hand-cut from Hungarian crystal and costs £95 from Ralph Lauren home.

Alternatively, for more of a coupe style that's ideal for our favourite espresso martini, try Richard Brendon's fluted style.

Mouth-blown by craftsmen in Bohemia, and priced at £90, the glass is light yet decadent.

Scroll through the gallery above to shop the best martini glasses to vamp up your own bar cart this season.