There are a lot of cocktail shakers out there in the world and a lot of people who collect them. One of the highlights of Tales of the Cocktail this year was a seminar with the man who probably knows the most about vintage bar ware, Steve Visakay. I am bummed that I missed The First International Symoposium of Cocktail Shaker Collectors because Steve's collection is said to be amazing and he's a wealth of information.
If you want to tap into Steve's knowledge just a little bit Robert Hess interviewed him on The Cocktail Spirit yesterday and you can check out his book Vintage Bar Ware, which is an amazing resource for avid collectors.



Comments
I have a vintage pewter cocktail shaker that I would like to use, but am concerned about the possibility of toxicity in the pewter. I would appreciate any input about using the shaker. Thank you
I double checked with Gary Graham (http://www.thejazzage.com/), who confirmed that it’s best to avoid using pewter because it contains lead. Proudly display it on the shelf just to be safe and maybe pick up another vintage shaker that is okay to use.