Napier Patent Recipe Cocktail Shaker, 1937
Napier Patent Recipe Cocktail Shaker, 1937
A rare and impressive large-form silver-plated and gilt-metal recipe cocktail shaker by the celebrated American maker Napier, patented in 1937. A superb expression of the glamour and ingenuity of the Art Deco cocktail age, this striking piece combines elegant barware design with a wonderfully practical built-in recipe guide.
The shaker is engraved with recipes for a wide selection of classic drinks, from the enduringly popular Whisky Sour, Dry Martini, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Sidecar, and Tom Collins to more period-specific favourites including the Alexander, Bacardi, Between the Sheets, Bronx, Clover Club, Dubonnet, Gin Rickey, Orange Blossom, Palm Beach, and more. Rotating bands reveal the ingredients and proportions required for each cocktail, allowing the host to mix a drink directly from the shaker without consulting a recipe book.
Patented in 1937, this inventive design reflects a period in which cocktail-making became an important part of American home entertaining. With the repeal of Prohibition still fresh in the public imagination, the home bar emerged as a symbol of modern sophistication, and Napier's shaker provided the ideal combination of style, novelty, and utility. Its polished silver-plated finish, gilt detailing, and bold scale give it a commanding presence, while the recipe mechanism makes it an enduring conversation piece.
The Napier Company was renowned for its stylish silver-plated accessories and innovative designs, and this shaker is among its most recognisable and collectable barware creations. Today, examples are prized not only as useful cocktail accessories but also as icons of interwar design and the golden age of the American cocktail.
A wonderful addition to a bar, cocktail collection, or Art Deco interior, and an exceptional gift for the serious mixologist or collector of 20th-century design. Please refer to the photographs for condition, dimensions, and the full range of engraved recipes.
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