"I cost $24,000!"
Surprisingly, I have never been in the market for a shaker. I’ve never needed to be, wherever I worked has always had a bountiful supply and I’ve acquired a shaker here or there as a gift or as a promotion for home use. I’m not a shaker snob, if I can make a tight seal I’ll shake with anything. But on a whim to look for the perfect gift for my beloved friend, I started shopping the antique shaker market and let’s just say – I hadn’t a clue what I was getting myself into. Sure, I knew that Jerry Thomas’s sterling silver bar tools must be worth a fortune, but other than that I figured there would be some antique shakers lying around for $100 or so. But I came to find this isn’t Antique Roadshow where some sweet old lady thinks that her grandmother’s bar set is worth $50 or so, no no no. The cheapest of these shakers sell for hundreds of dollars and there are some in the thousands.
By far the most complete site is http://www.cocktailshakers.com where the first shaker on the page sells for almost twenty four thousand dollars!
Nambe Twist Shaker
This site is worth clicking around on even if you can’t afford a thing. It’s fabulous to see all of the different design elements and styles of what is one of the most basic bar tools. What is unfortunate about this site is that you’ll leave it and try to find a modern day shaker with even a slight hint of yesteryear’s flair and you’ll find it quite difficult. The finest shaker I found was the Nambe Twist Shaker, pictured below. Which as you can see is absolutely gorgeous and certainly more within my price range ($145).
- Columbine Quillen I am a mixologist bartender and this is my blog.