The best design-led cocktail shakers

For a brand with a legacy of more than 100 years and its roots firmly planted in Copenhagen, this neatly stacked design from Georg Jensen feels appropriately vintage and minimalist. The design has an air of 1920s glamour about it, with a timeless stainless steel form that would just as well suit a contemporary bar as a mid-century style sitting room. At 750ml it’s a generous size, which meant it could comfortably manage a couple of cocktails at a time. The only downside is the high polish finish is prone to smudges from fingerprints, so could trouble perfectionists.

Famed for its playful percolators above all, Italian designer Alessi also dabbles in other drinks accoutrement, such as cocktail shakers. This particular one is a favourite of followers of the brand thanks to its sculptural, simple aesthetic which is a stylistic shapeshifter, adding a quietly quirky touch to any environs. With over a million of these sold worldwide, it doesn’t offer the opportunity to own something unique, but instead presents the potential to join many a happy bartender and private owner in having a little piece of iconic barware in your collection. The slightly bulbous body makes it feel comfortable in the hand, and the pouring lip is nicely accurate too.

There’s something infinitely alluring about a collaboration and one based around The Met immediately evokes glamour. Potentially one of the prettiest in our selection, the classic hand-blown, cut glass has an almost feminine feel to it, alluding to the romance of drinks trolleys from times gone by. The in-built strainer is a no-brainer for most shaken drinks, like a margarita or a sour, with holes big enough for any foam to pass through while withholding the ice. It’s worth noting that this piece is hand-wash only, so not suitable for regularly running through the dishwasher if you’re planning on using your cocktail shaker a lot.

Aside from the look of a piece, the feel is important too, and this is satisfyingly weighty thanks to its genetic makeup of brass heavily plated in buffed silver. In the wrong hands the novelty aspect of this could feel gimmicky, but instead the design breathes character into a typically one dimensional object. The secret to this cocktail shaker feeling cool instead of kitsch is in its level of detail that’s replicated from a 1920s piece. It’s a replica of a shaker made during the prohibition era, which was designed as a model lighthouse so as to conceal the object’s true purpose, hiding it from police at the time. Aside from being an interesting display piece it also offers up a nice anecdote to share over a perfectly shaken libation.

Proving not all cocktail shakers have to be monotone, this juicy coral coloured example from Zanetto offers up a way to inject a little colour into your barware. For the design conscious, this example is hand hammered from a single sheet of silver plated metal which results in a unique piece every time. This isn’t unusual for Zanetto, a design studio hailing from Padua which prides itself on its manual processes. In more practical terms, the full body opens up for easy cleaning, which is a mundane but useful note if you’re someone who regularly uses their shaker.

Proudly one of the world’s best hotels, Claridge’s is as much famed for its bars as its restaurants and rooms. The former are spread across its Champagne bar, The Fumoir and The Painter’s Room where its team of mixologists expertly handle an almost infinite number of cocktails, many of which pass through the hotel’s signature shakers. For luxury brand aficionados the subtle logo engraving adds a nice touch, and the design is sensible too. The piece splits in half to allow for easy mixing and the neat pouring spout gives good control. Little details like the engraved cap emphasise the consideration that’s gone into the making of this one.

Having been in production since 1783, Waterford Crystal is an iconic Irish design house famed for its timeless pieces. This cocktail shaker falls into line with its timeless appeal seen in its concentric circles framing the bottom - a nod to the shapes in sugarcane - and its sleek upper half. It’s a comfortable size to make a couple of cocktails in, and as well as being practical it also offers up the opportunity for shelf or bar styling, should you like to keep it on display. Aside from its aesthetics, it’s also pleasingly weighty for an enjoyable mixology moment.

A must-have in all home bars, the cocktail shaker is the centrepiece of any mixologist’s toolkit. Christofle’s three-piece Graphik model, crafted in elegant silver plate, with its warm undertones, showcases the sleek, signature motif that defines this latest collection and is the ideal gift for anyone who loves the confluence of design and drinks. Made in metal to keep beverages thoroughly chilled, it also features a built-in strainer for a smooth, perfectly filtered pour every time. The brand also offers elegant glassware, if you’d like to complete your full bar look with cohesion.

Pretty and poppy, this cocktail shaker from The Conran Store harks back to the brand’s opening year when it threw open its doors slap bang in the middle of the seventies. Made from a mix of blue and pink resin and metal in smooth, bulbous shapes, it’s an unusual finish that is mesmerisingly tactile. Unlike many of the other cocktail shakers in our selection, this one doesn’t have a built in strainer, so you’d need a separate sieve to make for easy pouring. Aside from that, it’s a playful design that is both classic and contemporary.