Serve up a vintage cocktail shaker and you could make a profit

Cocktail aficionados who own a vintage mixer can raise a glass to a homemade margarita or martini this summer as the luxury shaker has skyrocketed in value as an investment.

We are in a new golden age for cocktails due to an explosion of interest in craft spirits such as gin fueling a rising demand for these ancient tumblers.

Over the past decade, the most sought-after pieces have doubled in value and continue to attract attention. Some experts believe that if you’re looking to boost your finances with a sparkling return, now could still be a good time to invest in the elegant accessory.

Patented by New Yorker William Harnett in 1872, the modern cocktail shaker is usually little more than a cylinder with a strainer and cap. The idea is to toss ingredients into this cup with an alcoholic shot or two, add ice, then strain to create a magical concoction.

The earliest shakers looked more like coffee pots, but investors look to the elegant Art Deco cocktail mixer designs of the 1920s and 1930s—when shaken for the “bright young things” of the jazz era—because they’re not just practical pieces, but handsome works of art.

Roland Arkell, deputy editor of the Antiques Trade Gazette, says, “The first golden age of the cocktail shaker was the interwar period—the era of the cocktail party, nightclub, and speakeasy. As the US threw off the shackles of Prohibition and hipsters celebrated during the Depression, there was an explosion of designs in silver, glass and chrome.”

Cocktail shaker makers included the luxury houses of Asprey, Cartier, Hermes, Tiffany, and Dunhill. But there are also some coveted shakers from outfits such as JA Henckels from Düsseldorf – with new designs such as a Zeppelin, a skyscraper or airplanes that are highly sought after today.

A Henckels 13-inch wingspan monoplane cocktail set sold for £6,500 at Sworders auction house in Essex last year. So find an unusually designed cocktail shaker in the drinks cabinet that’s been in the family for centuries – or spot an oddly shaped one at a thrift store or car boot sale – and it might be worth getting it appraised. Auction houses such as Sworders have experts who are happy to provide a free professional valuation.

Alex Froggatt, Head of Houses and Interiors at Sworders, says: ‘Novelty shakers are always in demand – and the ones with a name, like Henckels, can sell for thousands.

“If you discover a shaker at a flea market or thrift store, don’t be put off if it’s dull and black, as this could just be aging and can often be polished up.” Even if they are not worth much money in the end, once brought to life they can be a nice practical addition to a well-stocked drinks cabinet.’

Leading light: Simon Khachadourian deals in vintage shakers like this £28,500 lighthouse

Simon Khachadourian, who runs the Pullman Gallery in St James’s, central London, deals in vintage shakers and is the author of the out-of-print The Cocktail Shaker.

Khachadourian says, “The novelty shakers often came with lots of accessories. They might be great if you have a butler or bartender to clean them all up after use – but for a practical investment that you can still use today, you can’t go much wrong with a simple Tiffany silver shaker. It is a classic design made from 1932 to 1960.’

He adds: ‘You don’t get any splashes or leaks like you get with a cheap modern copy – just a beautiful piece of art that only your skills mix in and the price tag can hold you back. You can pay as much as £7,500 for a two-pint shaker – or £15,000 for a four-pint shaker. This is double the cost you would have paid just over a decade ago, but prices for this solid silver mixer remain strong.”

Khachadourian believes we could be entering a second golden age for cocktail makers thanks to an explosion of interest in different gins and the renaissance of the classic martini. He suggests that a two-pint mixer is often the best size for practicality — enough mixes for two to four cocktails — since one third of the mixer is full of ice and another third remains empty.

Shakers usually come in sizes from one to four pints. A more affordable option, which still has Art Deco appeal, is a 1930s glass shaker made by the West Virginia Glass Company in the US – for between £1,000 and £4,000. The rare black glass specimens are the most desirable and expensive. These hefty glass shakers were produced after Prohibition was lifted in New York in 1933.

Khachadourian adds: ‘Asprey and Dunhill shakers also exude luxury. In 1932 you could buy fine examples of novelty shakers such as an Asprey ‘thirst quencher’ for about 25 guineas – £26. The average worker at the time took home about £1.50 a week, so only the wealthiest could afford one. They can cost £7,500 today, but this is still great value.”

Another of his favorites is Dunhill’s ‘slide trombone’ cocktail maker – with a 1935 example worth £14,000.

If you don’t have deep enough pockets to invest in one of these expensive luxury cocktail shakers from the past, you can still get in on a £100 budget. affordable examples may not increase in value that much, but are still pretty cool objects with a practical use.”

He points to recent examples on the website The Saleroom, such as a £60 Italian Art Deco silver-plated cocktail shaker; a £100 Zeppelin cocktail shaker; or £200 for a pair of champagne bottle, silver-plated cocktail shakers.

Auctioneer Sworders sold a silver-plated Swedish Modernist shaker with a bakelite lid for £140 in May – while a silver-plated Mappin & Webb mixer fetched £300.

Froggatt, of Sworders, says: ‘When it comes to valuable silver-plated vintage items, the cocktail shaker is one of the best pieces you can invest in. But try to find something that isn’t damaged, as the metal under the silver coating is often nickel and can be toxic – while refitting can cost at least a few hundred pounds.’