Vintage Thursday: Shaken not Stirred

Many years ago, my friend Karen's daughter collected vintage drink mixers. She has some of the most beautiful pieces you ever saw. I just fell in love with the crome and bakelite style and finally bought one for myself. At some point Karen's daughter sold her collection and I have always wished that I could have bought a few of them from her. Now, they are real collectors items and as I researched them, on line, I found that they are very expensive.
The one that I bought all those years ago, is made of "stainless crome" with a black Bakelite handle and produced in Brooklyn, New York by Forman. (I think this is what it says. It's hard to see.) What I love the most is that all the drink recipes are ingraved on the bottom of the mixer. It tells you what the name of the drink is and whether to "shake" or "stir" it. Drink names like Clover Club, Side Car and Palm Beach make you want to mix one up and rent an old 40's movie for the evening. My Dad's favorite was the Manhattan(without the bitters). I can still remember the smell of a Manhattan and the parties that my parents had in the 50's. Great food, singing at the piano and everyone having a good time.

When I look at this old mixer I think of all the good times my parents had together and also, how much drinking was done then. It was so acceptable..., so was smoking. A drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Why not..., all the movie stars did it.

We don't have big parties here on the farm. Mixing drinks for a crowd doesn't happen very often. Never did. So..., now I use it for a vase. Looks kind of nice with French Pussywillow in it. Doesn't it? Humm.., French Pussywillow..., sounds like a good name for a new mixed drink: 1/3 Gin, 1/3 Kahlua and 1/3 cream and some ice. Shaken not stirred.


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