Cocktail Shakers and Glasses

By Sarah Van Arsdale

This winter, the Armchair Decorator is staying close to home; and why not, with so many holiday parties and so much appreciation of America and Americana?

To help celebrate whatever it is you're celebrating right now - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or just the continuance of life in the face of war - we've taken a look at the cocktail glasses and shakers, harking back to previous days when times were tough but people knew how to drink.

Of course, you can drink non-alcoholic beverages out of any of these glasses, and you won't feel deprived; the glasses themselves are so festive that their look will make up for any lack of proof. A slice of lemon looks just as perky perched on the rim of a glass filled with seltzer as it does on a glass of Stoli.

The cocktail shaker was invented most likely to avoid the "bruising" of the vodka that can result from stirring, which can alter the taste of the drink. Also, it's fun to use a shaker, or even just to see someone else using one.

Bear in mind that cocktail glasses were designed with the particulars of the drink in mind: martinis are meant to be slowly savored - and with good reason - and the V-shaped glass accommodates that. Brandy should be sniffed, and the globe of a brandy snifter encourages the aroma to rise before you take a sip.

And on. Any glass is designed to best serve the purpose of the drink being served in it, so it's worth your while to invest in glasses best suited to your favorite drinks.

Cocktails - martinis, old-fashioneds, Manhattans, Long Island iced-tea - enjoyed their heyday in the 1940s through the 1960s, before everyone realized that booze and cigarettes might have a deleterious effect on health. Hence, the design of cocktail accoutrements seem best-suited to the mid-20th-century style. Little black dresses, cigarette holders, bright red lipstick, a certain amount of social repression - all seem to go together with cocktails.

But you don't need to buy the whole farm in order to enjoy a few apples. Cocktail glasses and shakers add a classy note to any decor, bringing in a carefree mood, and reminding us all that pursuing pleasure in life is part of the reason we're here.

The Classic Martini

1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
Stir with ice, strain and serve in chilled glass with an olive or a twist. (Use a pearl onion instead and you've made a Gibson)

The Modern Martini

1 1/2 ounces gin or vodka
1/4 ounce or no vermouth
Stir with ice, strain into chilled glass with an olive or twist.

Resources:
Classic Shakers Co.

Reprinted with permission from the Sheffield School of Design