Opinion

A gentleman’s must-have: The cocktail shaker

Roger Stone Political Consultant
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Every gentleman who ever contemplates entertaining a lady at his home must have a cocktail shaker. A cool silver or aluminum cocktail shaker can be an objet d’art as well as at tool in mixing and serving today’s (and yesterday’s) popular cocktails. Just the fact that you own one makes you chic and urbane.

The point of this metal cylinder is to make drinks ice cold without watering them down with lots of it. For example, a gin or vodka martini straight up, where tiny shards of ice dance on the liquid’s surface. Your cocktail shaker need not be sterling silver from Tiffany although they make a fine one, Restoration Hardware makes a serviceable cocktail shaker as does Urban Outfitters, Williams-Sonoma, and Oggi. You can also cruise flea markets and antique stores. In the 1930’s, anyone of any sophisticated status owned a cocktail shaker. Distinctive ones are easy to find.

When not making cocktails, Cosmpolitans, French Martinis they look cool on your bar, in your bookcase or on you rolling chrome and glass art deco bar.

The shape of the cocktail shaker can be like a bullet, or even like a penguin.

If you have any class at all you will want a monogrammed one. If you can inherit your cocktail shaker the way, say, George H. W. Bush probably did, that’s even better, but for around $30 a serviceable one can be found.

There is no doubt that the proper martini glass adds to the mystique of the cocktail shaker. The distinctive shape of the glasses is functional, as well as visually appealing. With both one cannot resist feeling like James Bond, with a license to kill — your liver cells.

Your cocktail shaker can be smooth chrome or hammered aluminum. It must both conduct cold and look sophisticated at the same time. There is something urbane, stylish and worldly about owning a cocktail shaker. Like a regimental stripe tie, a simple understated wrist watch, a Brooks Brothers white button down shirt, a navy blue blazer, a black John Smedley turtleneck, Tod’s driving shoes, Belgian loafers, a Harris tweed sports jacket, Ray-Ban Wayfarer or Aviator sunglasses, a grey cashmere scarf, a navy Shetland sweater and a black homberg, it’s an item every gentleman should have.