MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Just wanted to Wish All a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sobieski - Expensive VS. Just Good

As they ask in one of their press releases, "What is the difference between a $30 bottle of Premium vodka & a $15 bottle of Good vodka? $15.00". This is were Sobieski comes into the picture. This is a premium rye based vodka that is made with all the same techniques of the expensive premium vodkas. (Except maybe it not filtered through Diamonds...LOL) It also has a very clean and refreshing taste like the expensive premium vodkas.

It is probably unknown to most, vodkas were originally, all rye or grain based. Sobieski is made from Golden Dankowski Rye and naturally filtered water from Polish aquifers thousands of feet deep. It is distilled continuously until it reaches exceptional purity & quality.

The elegant bottle is also simple, which helps keep there cost down. Sobieski is the leading premium vodka in Poland and I give it a "Two Thumbs Up" and suggest you try a bottle as soon as you can.

For more interesting facts about Sobieski and vodka you can also visit their website http://www.vodkasobieski.com/

The Woes of Shaker Identification

Today I'm going to deal with shaker identification issues. Some times you will find it is very easy to identify shakers and bar ware because the pieces have makers marks. Some show up in catalogs or ads. Then some you just have no idea at all. The two shakers, pictured on the right, are great examples of identification woes.

Although they look almost identical they are not. The shaker with white print is a little taller and the bottom is thicker. It is a slightly different body shape. The shaker on the right with red print is probably made by Hazel Atlas. It is identical to known Hazel Atlas shakers. This means that these shakers came from different molds. Hazel also did a lot of printing on glass. Which is identical on both shakers other than color. So what does that mean. I personally believe that who ever made the white printed shaker had Hazel print it for them. Who "they" are is still unknown. I found the shaker on the right in an identification book for depression glass and the author says it was made by West Virginia Specialty Glass. He got his info from a glass collector but, I do not believe that is correct. West Virginia Specialty Glass made very ornate and unusual glass ware such as the Ladies Leg shaker and Dumbbell shakers. When I bought the red one, the dealer said it was made by the Derby Shelton Silver Co. There is a patent mark in the top for them. The problem is there is no record of a Derby Shelton Silver Co. Also the patent was granted to R. R. Luben.

So as you can see from just these two shakers identification is a sketchy business at best.
So to help fill in space now here are couple of recipes from these shakers..,

Metropolitan

1/2 Cognac

2 Drops Angostura

1/2 French Vermouth

2 Dashes Sugar Syrup

Ice

Saratoga

1/3 Apple Jack

1/3 Italian Vermouth

1/3 Dubonnet

2 Dashes Orange

Ice

Well I hope you have enjoyed this slight trip into the head aches of collecting. Now I think I'm going to go make myself a Saratoga.

Veev - A New Way to Think About Cocktails

I recently received a bottle of Veev Acai Liquor to review. Being made from the Acai Berry (Pronounced ah-SIGH-ee) I was immediately interested. The Acai berry is being hailed as the new "Super Food" and I thought, "Wow, healthy Booze...".
Upon opening and pouring a small shot, I noticed a nose of fruit and freshness. The taste is unlike any other liquor I have tried. Having a lower alcohol content it is not as harsh as clear liquors such as vodka. It can be enjoyed chilled straight up but, I believe its real value is as a cocktail ingredient. It adds a new twist to several classics. It works very well with gin, vodka, and fruit liquors.
Veev also prides itself on being a VERY GREEN Company. They donate money to the rain forest and use energy efficient distilling. All of their packaging and bottles are made fron recycled materials.
After visiting their website http://www.veevlife.com/ I was impressed by the amount of info there. Be sure and check it out.
Below is a recipe from there site they do have a lot more that I'm looking forward to playing with.

This is from Duggan McDonnell of Cantina in San Francisco

1.5 oz VeeV, 1.0 oz Beleza Pura Cachaca, crushed mint, ginger, lemon, agave nectar, and ginseng drizzle

Muddle the mint and ginger then combine 1.5 oz VeeV, 1.0 Beleza Pura Cachaca, the juice of a lemon, a touch of agave nectar and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake. Strain into cocktail glass, and squeeze an orange peel over the drink. Next, make a reverse \'boat\' with the peel, drop in pith side up, and squeeze a few drops of ginseng into the boat.

On closing I must say that with all the positives of Veev how can you go wrong. I hope you get some good info from this little post. Go get a bottle Veev and enjoy.

Bombay Sapphire Holiday Glasses

I assume most everyone has heard of and probably tried Bombay Sapphire Gin. It is a wonderful gin and one of my favorites. Most of you probably also know that every year around the holidays they package a bottle of Bombay with a designer cocktail glass.
I have been collecting Bombay Sapphire Holiday glasses for 8 years now. I also have a bunch of other Bombay stuff.
Recently I made another purchase of a Bombay glass (to fill a hole) and the seller asked if I had a definitive list of the glasses and the dates they came out. Well I did not. So I spent the next two days digging around Google trying to find some answers. I had totally no luck. Oh maybe I did confirm a couple of dates but overall no.

So now I'm reaching out to the Cocktail Community to try and get some answers.

Below I have pictured what I have and what I know. It starts with, what I'm told, is the original by Ulla Darni in 1994 and the date is on the bottom so I'm pretty sure that is correct. The Richard Jolie 1996 I believe to be correct. The Patricia Heller 1999 is also marked and is probably wright. I also believe that the 2002 was repeated in 2003. I am confidant in the 2006 & 2007 glasses. (Even I can remember buying those). The 2007 Promo was handed out at Tales in 2007. The original of that shape 2002-2003 did not have Bombay Sapphire printed on the stem. Also you will notice I'm missing 2001. This why I need help. I'm not at all Positive about the dates of the earlier glasses. If you click on the picture it will give you an enlarged version that much more readable.
So if you can help please email me martiniworld1@verizon.net or my contact in blogger.

Here are a couple of other pics of my Bombay collection.

So again I ask if can be of any help please let me know and I will disseminate this info across the web to other collectors.

So in advance...Thanks for all of your help.

Toulouse Lautrec - Mixologist?

I love trivia and this is just a little bit of historical trivia that I found. Who knew that Toulouse Lautrec was quite the amature chef & mixologist. When he was in Paris, his family would send him a weekly crate from the south of France filled with ingredients they'd shot or trapped or fished. The opening of this tuck-box was one of Lautrec's greatest weekly pleasures and every Friday he would invite his friends over and cook for them. Preserved in the Musée Lautrec in Albi are some of the menus he drew for these notorious dinner parties. As the recipes grew more and more ambitious, so they took longer and longer to prepare, leaving more and more time for cocktails. And it wasn't only fine wines they consumed. Lautrec was one of the first Frenchmen to develop a taste for American cocktails. He'd mix them in a shaker he'd had specially made, and would take great pleasure in inventing new drinks and giving them terrifying names. His most notorious cocktail he called The Earthquake, which consisted of four parts absinthe to two parts red wine with a splash of cognac. I would really love to see that shaker.
The poster at the top is showing Gentlemen at the Irish & American Bar in France. Notice the bartender using, what appears to be, two glasses as a cocktail shaker.

Luxury Experience Magazine artical on Tales...

My friends at Luxury Experience Magazine have devoted their October issue to the 2007 Tales of The Cocktail. Debra and Ed do a wonderful job with this rather impressive On-Line magazine.
(that's them above right)
If you have never read this mag you need to go NOW! Here is the link http://luxuryexperience.com/
Not only are there very informed articles on food & drink from around the world, they also always include beautiful photography to highlight and help make your Experience more enjoyable. This magazine goes above and beyond also to include Music, Art, and numerous other topics. Another great point to bring up is, Luxury Experience is FREE! Just sign up and your in on the fun.

I also included a couple pics from The 1st International Symposium of Cocktail Shaker Collectors held at Tales this year.
(That me on the left talking about recipe cocktail shakers)




On the right are a couple of the shakers displayed during the talk.




I hope you will Check Out Luxury Experience & also hope to see you Next year at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. Next year it will be held from July 8th through July 12th. I have also included a link to their website. http://www.talesofthecocktail.com/corporate/index.html
Go check it out! I highly recommend this festival, especially if you enjoy Great Cocktails, Great Food, and Tons of Fun!

Recipe Cocktail Shakers from The Napier Co.

In this post I will be talking about Napier's recipe cocktail shakers. I'm starting this off with a little history on the company, so here it is.
The Napier Company was named after its president, James H. Napier, who led the company from 1920 to 1960. But the company's history can be tracked back to 1875 when it was founded as Whitney and Rice in Attleboro, Mass., manufacturing silver products. The firm changed hands and name in 1882 and became Carpenter and Bliss and shortly thereafter, E.A. Bliss and Co., Inc. After rapid expansion in the late 1880s the company moved to Meriden, CT in 1890. After WWI, the firm shifted emphasis from silver products to production of modern jewelry. James Napier became president in 1920 and the company adopted the name Napier - Bliss Co. In 1922, the name was changed to Napier Company.
Like many jewerly companies they got into lines of art objects and other utilitarian objects like cocktail shakers. In the early to mid 1930s they produced several cocktail shakers and other pieces of barware.

The most famous being the Penguin Cocktail Shaker. It was patented in Oct. 1936 and pictured to the right.

Previous to that though was a shaker with a rotating top with recipes. The inventor was Harry A. Werful. The patent was filed for in Feb. 1933 and called it a "Drink Shaker". It shows a recipe for an "Orange Mint".

Orange Mint

1/2 Orange Juice

1/2 Mineral Water

Dash of Mint Essence

Sugar

Why you might ask? I assume that not refering to alcohol or cocktails made the process easier as Prohibition was not repealed until Dec. 1933.

In Sept. 1932 Le Roy H. Fontan applied for the patent for the "Tells-You-How" shaker. He referered to it as a "Drink Mixer or Cocktail Shaker". In Oct. of that year Fredrick W. Rettenmeyer applied for a patent for a "Cocktail Shaker". Niether of these patents were granted until Sept. of 1935.
The Rettenmeyer shaker has some simularities to the "Tells-You-How" but I don't believe it was ever produced.














As you can see Napier was quite busy in the shaker department. This only covers a fragment of Napier's products for the home bar though. There were measuring cups, spoons, ice buckets, and several other styles of cocktail shakers.
So I hope you have enjoyed this brief jaunt into The Napier Co.

Tales is Over...Let's Start Talking Shakers

Well now that Tales of the Cocktail is over it is now time to start talking about Cocktail Shakers. So here we go...

The history of the Cocktail Shaker is an interesting journey. Here is what Stephen Visakay, author of Vintage Bar Ware has to say about that...

Antecedents of the cocktail shaker can be traced to 7000 BC in South America where the jar gourd was valued for its use as a closed container. Ancient Egyptians in 3500 BC knew that adding spices to their grain fermentations before serving made them more palatable. A forerunner of the cocktail? Well, archaeologists have yet to find a hieroglyphic list of cocktail recipes inside the Great Pyramid of Cheops. But we do know in 1520 Cortez wrote to King Charles V of Spain from the New World of a certain drink made from cacao, served to Montezuma with much reverence, frothy and foaming from a golden cylinder.
By the late 1800s, the bartender's shaker as we know it today had become a standard tool of the trade, invented by an innkeeper when pouring a drink back and forth to mix. Finding that the smaller mouth of one container fit into another, he held the two together and shook "for a bit of a show."
At the turn of the century, New York City hotels were serving the English custom of 5 o'clock tea and it was a short leap to the 5 o'clock cocktail hour with shakers manufactured for home use looking very much like teapots.
In the 1920s martinis were served from sterling silver shakers by high society while the less affluent made do with glass or nickel-plated devices. The Great War was over and sacrifice was replaced by a euphoria marked by party-going and a frenzied quest for pleasure. The mixed drink and cocktail shaker was powered by Prohibition. People who had never tasted a cocktail before were knocking on speakeasy doors. The outlaw culture had a powerful pull. Flappers with one foot on the brass rail ordered their choice of drinks with names like Between the Sheets, Fox Trot, and Zanzibar, liberated more by this act and smoking in public than by their new voting rights.
The International Silver Company produced shakers in the form of the Boston Lighthouse and golf bags, as well as, traditional shapes. There were rooster- and penguin-shaped shakers, and from Germany zeppelin and aeroplane shakers. Many of these shapes were not entirely capricious. The rooster, or "cock of the walk," for example, had long served as a symbol for tavern signs. The penguin with its natural "tuxedo" symbolized the good life. The Graf Zeppelin had become the first commercial aircraft to cross the Atlantic - an 111-hour non-stop flight that captured the attention of the world.
Such ingenious designs were all the rage, cocktail shaker skills and drink rituals were as important in the Jazz Age lifestyle as the latest dance steps. Colorful cocktails with sweet mixes stretched out the supply of illicit alcohol and helped disguise the taste of homemade hooch. While gin, easier to duplicate than rye or scotch, became the drink of choice and the martini society's favorite.
But the real popularity explosion of cocktail shakers occurred after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Now they were featured frequently on the silver screen, shakers and accoutrements part of every movie set. Stars were constantly sipping cocktails when they weren't lighting each others' cigarettes, both de rigueur symbols of sophistication. Nick and Nora Charles, the delightfully sodden couple that poured their way through endless martinis in The Thin Man series, knew how to shake a drink with style, as did the tens of thousands of Americans who shook, swirled, and swilled cocktails by the shaker-full in the years following the repeal of Prohibition. Movie fans watched Fred and Ginger dance across the screen, cocktail glass in hand, and wanted their own symbol of the good life to shake themselves out of the Depression that gripped the country. The Art Deco movie set aesthetic was perfect for the Depression-driven cocktail shaker. To meet popular demand, machine age factories, geared for mass production, began turning them out in droves. Fashioned from the high-tech materials of the day, chrome-plated stainless steel shakers with Bakelite trim replaced those of sterling silver and were advertised as "non-tarnishing, no polishing needed." The great glass companies, such as Cambridge, Heisey, and Imperial, (on left) leaped into action. Stunning etched and silk-screened designs were created, often in brilliant hues of ruby or cobalt. Industrial design was at the height of popularity and superstar designers such as Russel Wright, Kem Weber, and Lurelle Guild created streamlined modern masterpieces, many in the shape of the new deity of architecture, the skyscraper. If there is a definitive classic it would have to be the sleek 1936 chrome-plated "Manhattan Skyscraper serving set" by master industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes, sought by collectors of today as the perfect mix of form and function.
By the end of the decade, shakers had become standard household objects, affordable to all. Every family had at least one shaker on the shelf. There were now cocktail shakers in the shape of bowling pins, dumbbells, town criers bells, and even in the shape of a lady's leg. The cocktail party had influenced fashion, furniture, and interior design. Coffee tables were now cocktail tables, and the little black dress, designed by Coco Chanel, went from fad to fashion, and is now an institution.
At the beginning of the 1940s, the Depression ended, but not in the way most had hoped. It ended on December 7, 1941. The golden era of the cocktail shaker was over, and America's involvement in World War II began. All metal went to the war effort. Companies that once made cocktail shakers, now made artillery shells. After the war, few thought of the shakers. We were in the atomic age, thinking of jet-propelled airplanes, a thing called television, and new cars with lots of chrome.
In the early 1950s, a brief renewal of interest in cocktail shakers occurred when new homes featuring finished basements, called "roc rooms," were equipped with bars. But the push-button age had taken the fun out of mixing drinks. Shakers came with battery-powered stirring devices. Worse yet, electric blenders became popular; drop in some ice, add the alcohol of your choice, a package of "redi-mix," flick a switch and.... Gone were the rites and rituals, the showmanship, the reward for effort. Small wonder, then, that these elegant stars of the 1930s were forced into retirement.
And there they sat - in attics and closets nationwide - waiting to be recalled to life. Over 50 years have passed now, and one can faintly hear the clink of ice cubes as shakers are, once again, a symbol of elegance.

I would like to thank Steve for his artical above and Mark Bigler for the wonderful pictures from his collection.

Coming soon will be posts on various cocktail shakers, their makers, and the histories.

Stay tuned and Keep on Shaking & Stirring...

Tales of the Cocktail...Bigger & Better in 2008

I hope everyone will bear with me on my first ever blog posting. With that said, here we go...

After spending six days in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail, I must admit I'm sad it's over...but glad to be home. This was my fifth year at Tales and I can only say that it has grown exponentially! Wow, there were so many events and so many people it was almost over whelming. I got to see old friends, make new friends, (hopefully, made no enemies), and had the privilage to meet Cocktailians and Bloggers from all over the world. (I also logged around 200 Frequent Drinker Miles at the Carousel Bar. Shouldn't we be able to cash those in at the Montleone for room credit or something?)

If you have never attended Tales of the Cocktail, you have no idea what you have missed. Of coarse, being held in New Orleans, starts it off on the right foot. The hospitality of this city is of World Class! Everyone should be familiar with the history of the city which lends itself to the event of Tales perfectly.

This years Tales hosted many new events which helped to make it an even more memorable event for me. This also means that many new faces of professionals were in attendance. The list of master mixologist in attendance this year was the largest ever. That being said the list of various cocktails was also probably the largest. (I made a weak attempt to try as many as possible. My liver is on strike this week). The list of mixologist that included Dave Wondrich, Dale Degroff, Tony Abou-Ganim, The Fabulous Shaker Boys, Audrey Saunders, Chris McMillian, Natalie Bovis-Nelson, ect, ect, ect, was just mind boggling.
There was also an extensive list of the Movers & Shakers of the Food & Beverage industries. For a more complete list see the Tales site at the link on the bottom of this post.

At this time I have to give major kudos to Ann Tuennerman, (Founder of Tales) who one more time put together one of the greatest events in this country. Ann, keep up the great work and I'm looking forward to seeing you next year.

This year I had the great fortune to be asked by Steven Visakay, author of Vintage Bar Ware, to co-host The 1st International Symposium of Cocktail Shaker Collectors held on Wednesday. Along with fellow collector Mark Biggler, and The Fabulous Shaker Boys who were shaking some wonderful cocktails, (the recipes are below) we had one hell of a good time.

I would also like to thank our sponsor, Sonnema Vodkaherb. http://www.sonnema.com/sonnema.html What a Great Vodka that is!

Steve spoke on the history of shakers. I spoke on the history of collecting and recipe cocktail shakers. Mark talked about were to still find good deals on shakers and the care and cleaning of shakers. We also gave away over $1000 in bar ware. We are really hoping to ramp this up next year with more shakers and collectors. Belowis a link to an interview of Steve with Robert Hess (aka Drink Boy) The Cocktail Spirit

The Dutch Aviator

2 Oz Sonnema Vodkaherb

1/2 Oz Luxard Maraschino Liqueur

1/2 Oz Creme de Violette

1/2 Fresh Lemon Juice

Shake for 8 seconds

Strain & Serve

The Dutch Duchess

2 1/2 Oz Sonnema Vodkaherb

3 Drops Le Fee Absinthe

1 Dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir all ingrediats together

Strain and Serve

Thursday was also very fun as I got to serve my twist on a classic old cocktail, the Crimson Clover Club at the Cocktail Hour. I would also like to thank my sponsor, Ciroc Voka, anther Great Vodka! http://cirocvodka.com/ This drink was originally invented in the early 1900s at the Bellvue-Stratford Hotel in New York, for a group of "Philadelphia Blue Bloods" that called themselves the Clover Club. Here are the recipes...

The Original Clover Club

1.5 Oz Gin

1 Oz Lemon juice
1/2 Oz Grenadine
White of an Egg
Dash of Bitters (Optional)
Shake with Cracked Ice for at least 30 seconds to build a froth.
Strain & Serve

The Crimson Clover Club
1.5 Oz Ciroc Vodka

1 Oz Lime Juice
1/2 Oz Raspberry Liquor
White of an Egg
Dash of Peychuad's Bitters (Optional)
Shake with Cracked Ice for at least 30 seconds to build a froth.
Strain & Serve

(this is me Shaking Clover Clubs in a 1930s Hazel Atlas Shaker on Thurdays evening)

Thursday evenings Spirited Dinner at The Bombay Club was also an excellent time. The menu was almost as outstanding as the company. In attendance with our group were Steve & Arlene Visakay, Mark Biggler, Gary & Joy Graham, Lance Jason, and my friend Regina. This group of extrordinary collectors ia almost unmatched in the circles of Shaker Collectors. What fun that was!

On Friday evening I was also lucky enough to meet up with and be interviewed by one of the most intelligent, talented, and beautiful "Broads" I have ever had the privilege of knowing... Jennifer English. We talked for two hours on the resurgence of the Cocktail Culture, Cocktail Shakers, the designers of the Art Deco era, and where it is taking us today. What a wonderful time that was. Jennifer's knowledge of the food & beverage industry and history in general is just amazing. She is the founder and host of The Food & Wine Radio Network...Radio That Satisfies. She is also a James Beard Award Winner, 4-time James Beard Award Nominee, Gracie Allen Award Winner (not to mention she is an overall sweet and fun person). Check out the website... http://www.foodandwineradionetwork.com/

On Saturday, I had the privilege of a tour of the newly re-opened Museum of the American Cocktail at it's new home in New Orleans. Ted Haige, curaror of the museum, led a group of cocktailians on a personal tour of the small but wonderfully set up museum. If you are a cocktail shaker or bar ware collector or just like history it is a must see when in New Orleans. Check out their website below...
http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org/

I could literally go on for days about Tales of the Cocktail but don't want to bore you to death, so I suggest that you check out there website with links to all the bloggers that attended, videos of events and so on.



At this time I would like to invite everyone to contact me with comments or suggestions or just to say Hi.

Future post will have A LOT more about Cocktail Shakers & Bar Ware Collectors and the Cocktail Shakers and Bar Ware pieces themselves, along with some great old cocktail recipes.

So for now...
Keep on Shakin' & Stirring...