Pewter Cocktail Shaker

A lustrous, corrosion-resistant metal that tarnishes very, very slowly, pewter makes a fine material for a cocktail shaker. Add the fact that it’s been hand spun by artisans in Northern Italy, and you have a truly unique bar accessory, stamped with the touchmark of its makers.

Today, tin (the primary metal in pewter) is one of the world’s top four most valuable metals, three times the expense of copper and not at all easy to procure, yet highly sought after for its strength, and resistance to oxidation. While most other metal cocktail shakers, like aluminum, react badly to liquor and acids, tarnishing easily and sometimes leaving a “brassy” taste, modern pewter will only develop a darker spot if left with highly acidic liquids overnight. Most people don't mind this anyway- it adds to the character of the piece. And that's the beauty of new pewter. Its untouched surface - like brand new, raw denim jeans - will develop an appearance that reflects your life. Every dent, every scratch, will be yours. "It was the character of the metal that attracted me to it," said David Reiss, the designer and founder of Match, the shaker's manufacturer. "Every material has a soul," he said, "and to me, that's what pewter had."

David is the designer of 99% of the products that Match now manufactures, using crystal and pewter from the guilds of northern Italy which are stamped with the "95" marker of high quality pewter that contains 95% tin.

When you shake, you are doing a few things at a time. First, you are mixing ingredients together. Next you are chilling the cocktail with ice, and finally you are adding water to dilute. The proper shake should be intuitive yet result in a cocktail that is well-strained, well-chilled and highly enjoyable.

To clean your pewter shaker after using it, hand wash in warm water using a liquid dish soap. Dry the pewter completely. If water is allowed to dry on your pewter, it may cause spots which can easily be removed by using metal polish, or gently rubbing the area in small circular motions with “0000” steel wool.

This shaker, and a number of other Italian crystal and pewter products, are manufactured by Match, whose founder fell in love with the character and "old soul" of pewter on a trip to Lombardia.  He felt the pewter and crystal products he saw in Italy were exceptional in quality and aesthetic, and stood apart from what was then available in the United States.

His company started 17 years ago, and was the first to bring the very same pewter of Lombardia to the American market. Every one of his products is handmade in Italy, is FDA approved, food safe and contains no lead. 

Please email support@kaufmann-mercantile.com.  We reply to every email promptly. Or call us at 347 529 5122.

To stay updated on product launches and articles on our blog, follow us via mail, RSS, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest.