Cocktail lovers who have a vintage mixer can raise a glass to a homemade margarita or martini this summer – as the luxury shaker has been soaring in value as an investment.
We are in a new golden age for cocktails due to an explosion of interest in artisan spirits, such as gin, which is fuelling a rising demand for these old tumblers.
Over the past decade, the most sought-after pieces have doubled in value and they continue to attract attention. Some experts believe if you fancy stirring up your finances with fizzing returns, this could still be a good time to invest in the elegant accessory.
Patented by New Yorker William Harnett in 1872, the modern cocktail shaker is usually little more than a cylinder with strainer and cap. The idea is to throw ingredients into this tumbler with an alcoholic shot or two, add ice and then strain to create a magic concoction.
The earliest shakers looked more like coffee pots, but the elegant Art Deco cocktail mixer designs of the 1920s and 1930s – when shaken for the ‘bright young things’ of the Jazz Age – are what investors seek because they are not just practical pieces but handsome works of art.
Bright young things: Cocktail shakers evoke Jazz Age glamour of The Great Gatsby, as played by Leonardo DiCaprio, above
Roland Arkell, deputy editor of industry publication Antiques Trade Gazette, says: ‘The first golden age of the cocktail shaker was the inter-war decades – the era of the cocktail party, night club and speakeasy. As the US threw off the shackles of Prohibition and the hipsters partied through the Depression, there was an explosion of designs in silver, glass and chrome.’
Cocktail shaker makers included the luxury houses of Asprey, Cartier, Hermes, Tiffany and Dunhill. But there are also some coveted shakers from outfits such as JA Henckels of Dusseldorf – with novelty designs such as a Zeppelin, a skyscraper or airplanes being highly sought after today.
A Henckels 13-inch wingspan monoplane cocktail set sold for £6,500 at the auction house Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, last year. So, find an unusual design cocktail shaker in the drinks cabinet that has been in the family for ages – or spot a strange-shaped example in a charity shop or car boot sale – and it might be worth snapping up and getting valued. Auction houses such as Sworders have experts happy to provide a free professional valuation.
Alex Froggatt, head of homes and interiors at Sworders, says: ‘Novelty shakers are always in demand – and those with a name, such as Henckels, can sell for thousands.
‘If you discover a shaker in a flea market or second-hand shop do not be put off if it is tarnished and blackened as this could just be ageing and can often be polished up. Even if they do not end up being worth lots of money, once brought back to life they can provide a great practical addition to a well-stocked drinks cabinet.’
Simon Khachadourian, who runs the Pullman Gallery in St James’s, Central London, trades in vintage shakers and is author of the out-of-print book The Cocktail Shaker.
Khachadourian says: ‘The novelty shakers often came with lots of accessories. They might be great if you had a butler or bartender to clean them all up after use – but for a practical investment you can still use today you cannot go far wrong with a plain silver Tiffany shaker. It is a classic design made from 1932 to 1960.’
He adds: ‘You won’t get any splashes or leaks like a cheap modern copy – just a beautiful piece of art where only your skills at mixing and the price tag might hold you back. You can pay as much as £7,500 for a two-pint shaker – or £15,000 for a four-pint one. This is double the cost you might have paid just over a decade ago, but prices for this solid silver mixer remain strong.’
Khachadourian believes we could be entering a second golden age for cocktail makers thanks to an explosion of interest in different gins and the renaissance of the classic martini. He suggests a two-pint mixer is often the best size for practical reasons – mixing enough for two to four cocktails – as a third of the mixer is full of ice and another third left empty.
Shakers usually come in one to four-pint sizes. A more affordable option, which still has Art Deco appeal, is a 1930s glass shaker made by the West Virginia Glass Company in the US – for between £1,000 and £4,000. The rare black glass examples are the most desirable and expensive. These hefty glass shakers were produced after Prohibition was lifted in New York in 1933.
Leading light: Simon Khachadourian trades in vintage shakers such as this £28,500 lighthouse
Khachadourian adds: ‘Asprey and Dunhill shakers also exude luxury appeal. You could pick up fine examples of novelty shakers such as an Asprey ‘thirst extinguisher’ for about 25 guineas – £26 – back in 1932. The average worker took home about £1.50 a week in those days so only the wealthiest could afford one. They can cost £7,500 today but this is still great value.’
Another of his favourites is the ‘slide trombone’ cocktail maker by Dunhill – with a 1935 example worth £14,000.
If you do not have deep enough pockets to invest in one of these expensive luxury cocktail shakers of the past, you can still get involved with a budget of £100. Arkell says: ‘A vintage cocktail shaker need not cost a small fortune – and eminently affordable examples may not rise so much in value but are still pretty cool objects with a practical use.’
He points to recent examples on the website The Saleroom, such as a £60 Italian Art Deco silver-plated cocktail shaker; a £100 Zeppelin cocktail shaker; or £200 for a pair of champagne bottle, silver-plated cocktail shakers.
Auctioneer Sworders sold a silver-plated Swedish Modernist shaker with a Bakelite lid for £140 in May – while a silver-plated Mappin & Webb mixer went for £300.
Froggatt, of Sworders, says: ‘When it comes to great value, silver-plated vintage items, the cocktail shaker is one of the best pieces you can invest in. But try to find something not damaged as the metal underneath the silver coating is often nickel and this can be toxic – while replating might cost at least a couple of hundred pounds.’
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This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
