Tales of the Cocktail & the Vintage Bar Ware Collectors Symposium

As many people know or may just be finding out the 7th Annual Tales of the Cocktail will be held in New Orleans from July 8th thru the 12th. I am honored to again be a part of this event. I will be on the panel of the Vintage Bar Ware Collectors Symposium. Hosting this event will be Stephen Visakay, author of Vintage Bar Ware, and along with Mark Bigler of www.CocktailShakers.com, we are going to talk about cocktail shakers, bar ware and of coarse cocktails. There will also be some some the top collectors from around the world. I am trying to take this event to new levels this year so I'm asking for your help. I am taking a pole on the top 10 collectible cocktail shakers. The ones below may not THE top 10 but it will give you a good start. If this all works out these shakers will be at our event. Yes, live and in person. To see, touch & hold (Maybe). The owners will be there to talk to about them also. So let the voting begin. Just leave a comment with your list...Thanks!














Above left is the Famous Manhattan set designed by Norman Bel Geddes and produced by Revere Copper & Brass Co. 1936.

Above on the right is the Golf Bag shaker from Derby Silver Plate Co. a division of International Silver. It was produced from 1925 to 1930.

Everyone should know this well dressed little fellow. The Penguin shaker by Napier from the 1930's.




On the right...Do you think it's time for a cocktail? Well I do if your shaking with the Maxwell Phillips Hourglass shaker made in the 1930's.

On the left is one of my favorite shakers. It is the Bubble set made by the Faber Co. in the 1930's unique & deco all in one.


On the right are the Zeppelins that are probably modeled after the Graf zeppelin. Made in the 1930's in Germany.

On the left is the Master In-Color shaker from England. Its Bakelite body makes it unique with silver trim and a rotating recipe top. It was made in the 1930s.

On the right is the wonderful "Shake a Leg" shaker made by West Virgina Specialty Glass Co. in 1937.

On the left is the 1938 Sheridan Empire Shaker made by the Revere copper & Brass Co. It is the pinnacle of art deco.

And last but not least is the beautiful Wallace Brothers silver plated rooster from 1928.

Well what is a Cocktail anyway?

I hope to get a lot of responses so I know who to bring to this party. That being Tales of the Cocktail.

See Ya there...

http://www.talesofthecocktail.com

The Pink Elephant

The other day I got to wondering, what was the history of the Pink Elephant. This being an appropriate thought just following New Years. As a Bar Ware and Shaker collector I see this image everywhere and just got to wondering.
I started my research with Wikipedia and here is what they had to say: "Seeing pink elephants", a euphemism for drunken hallucination. You can follow the link above to Wikipedia.
There's something about an Elephant, but it's unclear why pink elephants have been associated with drinking for a number of decades, but they are one of the more consistent images. One reference to seeing pink elephants and pink spiders as a drinking hallucination, attributed to the 1890s. In 1913 Jack London wrote in "John Barleycorn": "There are, broadly speaking, two types of drinkers. There is the man whom we all know, stupid, unimaginative, whose brain is bitten numbly by numb maggots; who walks generously with wide-spread, tentative legs, falls frequently in the gutter, and who sees, in the extremity of his ecstasy, blue mice and pink elephants. He is the type that gives rise to the jokes in funny papers."
For some reason, pink elephants were the most popular image for drinking during several decades, beginning in the '40s. Actually as you see above it started much earlier.
This image has sprung up all over the place in its history with Cocktail Shakers, Napkins, Coasters, Trays or just about anything else you can associate with drinking. There are even Pink Elephant Jokes.Guy Lombardo had a popular hit with the song in 1932 "Pink Elephants" composed by Mort Dixon and Harry Woods.
Pink elephants on the table.
Pink elephants on the chair.
Pink elephants on the ceiling,
Pink elephants ev'rywhere.
Now I'm through making whoopee, I raised my hand and swore
That I never intend to see those pink elephants any more.



Below Are the 1040s Dancing Pink Elephant (Left) Cocktail Shaker set and the 1950s recipe version (Right). Both of these were made by Hazel Atlas. Also pictured is a little Pink Elephant shot glass & a canape tray.
There is even a modern Version, pictured below. It is pretty easy to to find this shaker while the vintage shakers above are a little harder to find. While doing the research for this post I found numerous places to buy both. Check out http://cocktailshakers.com/ This is Mark Bigler's website of shakers he has for sale. He has a couple of Pink Elephant pieces for sale.
Then everyone should remember The Pink Elephant Dance from Dumbo. Check it out on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nwNPaYoTY8
While you're watching the video you might want to sip a Pink Elephant Cocktail:

1/4 oc of Vodka

3/4 oc of Galliano

3/4 oc of Creme de Noyaux (Or Almond liqueur)

3/4 oc of Orange Juice

3/4 oc of Cream

Dash of Grenadine

Stir in mixing glass half filled with cracked ice and strain into 5 ounce champagne glass.

Well I guess that's about it for now on Pink Elephants. As you can see "They are Ev'rywehere"

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.