The best cocktail making kit should be sleek, sophisticated and sublime. There is nothing better than a man who can handle his jigger.
In order to mix a good whisky cocktail you need the best cocktail making kit. And a man who can handle his jigger and mix a knee-trembler is useful to have around. Too often the homemade British cocktail is marred by poor preparation, not enough ice and inferior equipment. Even if it’s just an annual champagne cocktail before the hunt ball, an aperitif before lunch or digestif after dinner, the cocktail is an occasion. You might sip at a G&T slumped on the sofa in a dog-haired fleece, but not a Manhattan. (See this new take on a negroni, a pimmgroni.)
Connolly has heirloom pieces in the making
There’s a lingering, seductive scent of Hollywood surrounding cocktails. Perhaps this is because so many of the accoutrements of cocktail making are so tactile and elegant. Many shakers are akin to curvaceous works of art. Connolly has a super range of champagne buckets, cases and glasses – heirloom pieces in the making.
There is an elegance to cocktail-making paraphernalia
We’re huge fans of Life of Riley’s leather mixology box (£920), which contains everything one needs to host a sophisticated soiree.
Life of Riley leather mixology box
Cocktail-making kit also makes superb gifts for those who both enjoy making and drinking cocktails. Inkerman of London has an unusual and chic rose gold shaker that can be personalised with the recipients initials.
A rose gold cocktail shaker from Inkerman of London
But you’re on the hunt for larger pieces to really up your cocktail-making game, Jonathan Adler has a stylish array of trolleys, trays and ice buckets. As stated, good ice can make or break or a cocktail, so keep it chilled in something really cool, such as Jonathan Adler’s Berlin ice bucket (£375).
Berlin ice bucket from Jonathan Adler
What is attractive about so much cocktail-making kit is its vintage feel so why not embrace that fully? Mark Goodger specialises in such antique pieces, including original Art Deco cocktail shakers. Although delicate, Mark Goodger says they can still be enjoyed as intended: “Some pieces are more delicate than others so care must be taken but it is absolutely worth the effort. The timeless charm of cocktails is mirrored in the vintage allure of shakers and decanters—a poetic dance between classic mixology and the chic sophistication of an era long cherished,” he says.
Aeroplane Cocktail Shaker by J. A. Henckels from Mark Goodger
Enjoying cocktails the easy way
We’re all about the easy life and Claridge’s – as well as selling beautiful shakers and glassware – sells bottles of some of its favourite cocktails, ready mixed. These include its famous negroni. Cheers to that we say.
- You’ll find a list of The Field’s cocktail recipes here.
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This article was originally published in 2023 and has been updated. All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more https://www.futureplc.com/terms-conditions/