As innovators combined art and science to create unique and creative drinks, cocktails have undergone a significant transformation. With a rich history that spans centuries, learn about this fascinating evolution and an exciting future that promises to push the boundaries of taste and technique even further.

The Cocktail Begins (1860-1890)
Though pubs and bars across cultures had been producing and serving alcoholic drinks for centuries, the mixture of spirits, sugar, water and bitters now known as a cocktail, first appeared in print in 1806, in an upstate New York newspaper article featuring a “tonic” that cured illness and “brought people back to life.” The cocktail later evolved from a tonic to a daily libation procured by inventive New York mixologists.

Jerry Thomas, "father of American mixology," is one of the most famous nascent bartenders from this early age. In his 1862 book, "How to Mix Drinks," Thomas includes his recipes for many now classic cocktails, including the Tom Collins, the Blue Blazer, and the Brandy Daisy. Not only did Jerry Thomas help champion the chemistry of cocktail making, but he also helped establish the precedent of a theatrical bar experience. Known for his tawdry suits and two pet rats that sat perched upon his shoulders as he mixed his famous concoctions, Thomas helped solidify the tradition of creating a spectacular experience for his patrons.

Much like the staying power of society’s favorite mixed drinks, the staying power of the actual cocktail shaker mechanism has a similar evergreen status. Before the original shaker was patented in 1884 by E.J. Hauck, a bartender in New York City, drinks were usually stirred by hand. Conceived as a clean and efficient way to mix drinks, the shaker consisted of two metal containers that fit together, with a strainer on the top. Although the modern cocktail shaker is typically made of stainless steel and not the 1884 original’s nickel-plated brass, Hauck’s design has largely remained unchanged.

Age of Oblivion (1919-1920)
The Jazz age cannot be understood without first considering the shared trauma that held this generation of young adults together. When soldiers returned from WWI, society was disoriented and searching for new methods of oblivion, and many turned to hard liquors and cocktails, far more potent than the libations popular in European societies (beer and wine). As an article in the Daily Mail noted in 1919, “People are dancing as they have never danced before, in a happy rebound from the austerities of war.” As access to cocktails became emblematic of status (both financially and socially), America’s older generation became increasingly concerned with normalized binge drinking behavior.

As America’s younger society was largely united on seeking ways to break from their traditional constraints, the theater of drinking and cocktail making, specifically before dinner, became more prolific with the advent of new technologies like readily available ice and electric blenders.

Prohibition and Jazz Age (1920-1933)
During the so-called “dry age,” an entire industry of bootleg liquor production and distribution emerged on the black market, along with secret speakeasies and hidden cocktail lounges that could only be accessed through in-the-know personal connections and clandestine code words. Speakeasies were numerous; scholars have estimated that at one point there were approximately 32,000 in New York City alone. The cocktail culture was in full swing, a byproduct of mixing horrid-tasting — and often poisoned — contraband liquors with tasty ingredients to create palatable alcoholic libations.

A new generation — largely considered the first — of independent American women emerged in a shifting nation, blurring lines in traditional gender roles and pushing boundaries in economic, political, and sexual freedoms. As a disregard for the law, specifically, the law of prohibition became normalized, in August 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote. Women in industrialized cities increasingly continued working outside of the home, a rising trend of the late 19th century and the onset of WWI, which secured the working woman’s newfound — and revolutionary — financial independence. Thanks to the innovative genius of designers like Coco Chanel, dramatic changes in fashions followed to suit the modern woman’s new lifestyle. Restrictive Victorian corsets and long skirts were abandoned in favor of risqué, knee-grazing hemlines, and utilitarian trousers and the voluminous hairstyles of the 1900s were swapped for chic, gender-defying bobs and cosmetics.

The term “flapper” was coined describing this new generation of socially unbridled, energetic young women in the United States and Europe who embraced a lifestyle viewed by many during the era as outrageous, immoral, or downright dangerous. As women experimented with shorter hairstyles and newfound freedoms, people also began to experiment with homemade alcohol, often kept in their homes. This era of creativity, though sometimes dangerous, also lead to the creation of some of the most popular and innovative cocktails on the market.

Rise of cocktail luxury (1933-Present)
After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, American luxury decorative art firms began producing their own sophisticated cocktail shakers, and demand was prolific. Cartier, Tiffany and Asprey each designed unique pieces and these models were both hugely successful and coveted by collectors. Another evolutionary effect of the social prestige associated with cocktails and the jazz age was when the part scene gradually moved from the bar to a home cocktail party.

Across America in the 1940s-50s, the cocktail party became a new kind of prestigious social event. Instead of the formal sit-down dinner parties favored by the pre-war generations, young professionals favored cocktail parties in their homes— not only were their homes on full display, but food became hand-held hors d'oeuvres as creative libations helped ease the conversation.

Cocktail parties were meant to impress, and this included every element from home decor, a prestigious bar setup and the latest fashionable attire. As a symbol of opulence and luxury, attainable even for the common member of society, cocktail parties became a way to elevate one’s lifestyle and engage in delightful social interaction. Even today, “cocktail attire” is its own dress code, wherein people dress in their finest and often most daring fashions while maintaining the nostalgic feel of a bygone era.

Future of Cocktails
As the new generation of mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts have taken hold of the bar and drink market, cocktail culture is ever-present. With the rise of canned cocktails by brands such as Cutwater and On the Rocks, younger patrons are often favoring tasteful and creative mixed creations over beer and wine. With flavor possibilities as endless and cocktail shaker designs, the historic cultural phenomenon of mixing alcoholic drinks is here to stay.

Elevate your happy hour and step into luxury with our collection of rare cocktail shakers.