Art Deco Cocktail Accessories
Art deco cocktail accessories are the chrome and glass tools of the interwar bar, built to bring geometry and theatre to home entertaining.
Art Deco Cocktail Accessories
When you search for art deco cocktail accessories, you encounter items designed for mixing, serving and garnishing drinks during the interwar decades. The selection includes cocktail shakers, ice tongs, citrus squeezes and stick sets.
You are most likely to meet silver plated shakers alongside novelty cocktail sticks featuring figures or enamel detailing from the nineteen twenties, thirties and forties. These objects originate from English, French, Italian and Swiss makers.
Forms range from simple geometric trays to shakers equipped with integral lemon squeezers, rolling recipe cylinders and cut glass liners. The assortment covers everything required to equip a period bar setup.
How they were made
Maker workshops utilised silver plate, electroplated nickel silver and sterling silver alongside structural base metals to form the bodies of shakers, trays and ice buckets. Chrome plating also appeared as a durable, bright finish.
Contrasting details relied on coloured Bakelite, vibrant enamel and cut glass, providing tactile accents to metallic barware. These materials were shaped into clean, symmetrical lines characteristic of the period style.
Some interwar cocktail sticks feature comical golfers complete with caddies, ready to garnish your evening drink with a sporting swing.
What varies in quality
Quality rests upon the weight of the metal, the crispness of the casting on novelty items like cocktail sticks, and the integrity of the silver plating. Pieces designed by named makers or specific silversmith firms often display superior mechanical fit in lids and strainers.
Subtleties in manufacturing, such as integrated recipe mechanisms or heavy cut glass liners, separate standard production items from more ambitious designs. The preservation of original enamel work and clear hallmarks also elevates an individual piece.
Sudre·Richard Comyns·Keith Murray·J. B. Chatterley and Sons·James Dixon and Sons·William Suckling·C S Green and Co·Asprey·Gaskell and Chambers·Angelletti
The Art Deco Cocktail Accessories Glossary
- Silver Plate
- A thin layer of silver applied to a base metal core such as nickel or copper. It allowed makers to produce domestic items with the appearance of solid silver at a lower cost.
- Bakelite
- An early synthetic phenol formaldehyde resin valued for its durability and bright colours. It provides heat-resistant handles and decorative accents on interwar barware.
- EPNS
- Electroplated Nickel Silver, a common metallic base used for silver plated tableware. It provides a sturdy foundation for the exterior silver coating.
- Cocktail Shaker
- A vessel used to mix beverages with ice through shaking. Period examples often incorporate built-in strainers, citrus squeezes or rotating recipe bands.
- Ice Tongs
- Implements designed for grasping ice cubes without touching them by hand. Interwar designs frequently adopted animal claw or talon motifs.
Art Deco Cocktail Accessories: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bachelor cocktail shaker?
A bachelor cocktail shaker is a smaller vessel produced during the interwar period, scaled to mix a modest number of drinks rather than quantities for a large party.
These compact versions appear frequently in silver plate and often include built-in strainers or ice breakers.
How do I identify a recipe cocktail shaker?
Recipe shakers feature etched, engraved or rolling exterior bands detailing proportions for mixed drinks.
By rotating the body or reading the stationary text, the host could consult classic formulas directly on the vessel.
Were cocktail sticks sold in sets?
Cocktail sticks were typically retailed in matching sets, often accompanied by a dedicated holder made of cut glass or silver.
Many sets incorporate novelty finials, such as enamelled fruit, figures or animals.
How should I clean silver plated barware?
Silver plated items require gentle cleaning with non-abrasive cloths and polishes formulated specifically for plated surfaces.
Harsh scrubbing will wear away the thin silver layer over time, exposing the base metal beneath.