I admit it: I’m a fairly thirsty person.
Normally I’m a red wine drinker. I love the good—and even some of the bad. Give me a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Brunello, a Bandol, and I couldn’t be happier. In the summer, I love sangria, and hardly even flinch if offered juice out of a jug. (Granted, it needs to be a *really* hot day for that last bit.)
That said, there’s a time and a place for a good cocktail. And, as with most things gastronomical, I love the equipment part almost as much as I love the food part. I think there’s a Gear Geek hiding inside almost everyone who loves to cook.
Here are some of the spiffier bar accessories I’ve seen in a while.
Lately, we’ve been using a miniature rolling pin as a muddler (you know, the kind you roll use to roll out pancakes for moo shu). It’s fairly effective, but I may change my ways. This little beast is the Rosle Fruit Muddler. Its polycarbonate paw is specially shaped to stomp the last bits of juice out of any fruit you toss into your glass. Get yours from Cooking.com for about $18.
This looks like a great way to keep wet-bar garnishes fresh, especially during the summer. Prodyne’s Condiments on Ice sells for about $25 at Linens ‘n Things. If you like this, there are a bunch of other products in the line, including a salad bowl and sectioned appetizer platter.
The stout and handsome Vintage Soda King seltzer bottle is a stylish way to get your fizz on. ChicDeuxChic is selling them Etsy from for $215.
If you open your champagne like we do, you cover your cork with a kitchen towel and twist away. For a slightly slicker way to pop your bubbly, there’s the Champagne Star by Le Creuset and Screwpull. Stick it on top of your bottle and you have an instant�and kind of festive�handle. Sur La Table sells them for about $20.
There’s something about the design of the Rosle Cocktail shaker that reminds me of a vintage airplane engine. From the description, it sounds like it’s pretty well designed, which in my mind means leak-proof. They’re about $58 on Cooking.com.
And finally, the martini robot
One last item. Now, I’m fairly traditional when I make most things. If there’s a machine that can do it, chances are�despite my Epic Love of Gear�I’ll probably still do it by hand.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Waring Pro Electric Martini Maker.
I saw this in my travels on Cooking.com, and wondered if anyone would actually buy this thing. (It sells for $190, but was on sale for $99.) I scanned down the page and got my answer. As of this writing at least, the martini maker is backordered about a week, due to overwhelming demand.
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Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse�/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.
