I’m not one to spend money on fancy bar gadgets or decor, better to use those hard earned dollars for the wine or beer or whiskey itself. But I couldn’t help but have a little bargeek envy over this fine cocktail (or tea, or whatever) trolley designed by Jorge Zalszupin back in 1950, now available for a lofty $10,950. Gulp. Doesn’t it look just perfect for a few bottles of bourbon and rye, some Luxardo Maraschino liqueur and bitters? Nah, I’ll just stick with the old retired barrel I use as a very effective pouring station.
On the much less expensive end of the spectrum, I also noticed this elegant and futuristic bit of unnecessary wine gadgetry: the Rabbit Wine Chilling Carafe from Metrokane. It features a silicon sleeve that secures a stainless steel ice chamber within a carafe of fine crystal – all that fancy technology designed to chill your wine to a nice, crisp, tongue-numbing, absolute zero on the Kelvin scale, AKA −273.15 °C. OK, I made that last part up. I assume it keeps the wine nice and cold. And simply looks cool, too (despite the eerie resemblance to a urine sample taken at NASA headquarters).
So what are the latest bar gadgets that you’ve had your eye on? Or, like me, do you prefer to save the dough for the good stuff? Either way, cheers.
Not big on gadgets, especially pricey ones, but I did buy a few the other day. I grabbed a pitter for trying my hand at maraschino cherries. I also grabbed a bottle pourer that is supposed to pour exactly 1.5 ounces (have not tried it yet). Finally I grabbed a small measuring glass that had ounces and table spoon measurements.
Ahh, pitting cherries. Very good “homemade” project.
I’m thinking about a similar five-gallon jug that will chill a big batch of punch or spiked lemonade/tea without diluting it.
As for mixing gadgets, I’m more likely to re-purpose other things. I found these electrician canvas tool bags at Home Depot to crush ice for juleps: http://bit.ly/IKOXEJ. Three for $15. I beat them with an antique police truncheon.
Antique police truncheon? That is awesome.