If you dabble in the art of mixology then you will need a good martini shaker to add to your bar supplies. The good news is that martini shakers are not only functional they are fun too and can add the right amount of style to your bar.

There seems to be a style for everyone, from the traditional 3-piece shaker to an expensive designer shaker, with colored shakers, Ed Hardy Shakers, and retro and bullet shakers thrown into the mix. Some even prefer to go traditional bar tender style and use a Boston Shaker.

If you are looking to add some color to your bar then this Wild Eye Cobalt Etched Martini Shaker may be the choice for you. No matter which shaker you choose there should be one to match your style.

The traditional 3 piece shaker is what a lot of folks purchase first. These are functional and can create many great cocktails. Although there can be some disadvantages, one of them being the lid can get stuck. When you put your ice in the shaker and shake it chills your drink and your shaker. The cold can make the shaker contract just enough for the lid to get stuck.

So remove the lid promptly after straining so that you will always look on control when making your cocktails. The Boston Shaker is a two piece shaker with a metal cylinder and a glass. When you place the cylinder over the glass and give it a tap a seal forms. Now you can shake your drink just like a professional bartender in the movies.

Then when it is time to pour your drink give the edges another tap and a twist and the glass should lift of of the cylinder and you can pour your drinks. You will also need a separate strainer when you pour so that you don’t get ice in your chilled cocktail. Even though these look hard to use they are actually easier to get apart then the traditional 3 piece martini shaker with lid and strainer. They also look very cool.

Now that you have your equipment down, you can focus on ingredients. The traditional martini was made with gin and ice and garnished with an olive. As time passed many began to prefer the vodka martini. No matter which liquor you choose it needs to be of high quality. Many people would call these two choices the only true martinis. Some only think the gin martini is the only true martini.

These days any thing goes though so you can experiment and make the perfect martini cocktail to suit you and your guests. You can try different garnishes or add some olive brine and make a dirty martini. A cosmopolitan is actually a martini made with vodka, triple sec, and cranberry juice. You can also add lime juice and experiment with garnishes such as lemon twists or cherries. A lemon drop is also a martini variation made with lemon juice, chilled vodka, and sugar.

You can experiment and try many different martini recipes everything from appletinis to chocolate martinis are popular these days. I have even heard of different forms of bacon and bloody Mary martinis, although these seem to be more of a novelty, as opposed to a meal in a glass.

The most important things to remember when stocking your bar is utility and expressing your unique style. The most important thing about drinking is to drink responsibly and have a great time.

The standard Cocktail or Martini Shaker is a stainless steel container. Besides mixing the ingredients, shaking the ingredients with ice will cool the drink without having to actually have ice in your drink. Martinis aren’t served on the rocks. The longer you shake the drink the colder it will get.

The standard cocktail shaker most of us envision, is the Cobbler shaker. A three-piece stainless steel shaker with a strainer built into it. It consists of the shaker tumbler, a lid with a strainer, and the cap. This is also the easiest shaker to begin with, although sometimes it is difficult to get the cap off if a vacuum seal is formed.

A more advanced but often times preferred Martini Shaker is the Boston Shaker. This shaker has a stainless steel tumbler and a slightly smaller mixing glass. You put the ingredients into the glass and then fill it up with ice. Place the stainless steel tumbler on top of the glass. The tumbler is upside down and you can form a seal between the glass and tumbler by giving the tumbler a whack.

Carefully shake until your drink is properly mixed and chilled. Then find the spot where the glass and tumbler meet and give it another whack to break the seal. To avoid getting ice in your newly mixed martini, you will need a strainer. The preferred strainer is the Hawthorne strainer which has a spring around the bottom so that it will fit any glass or tumbler.

James Bond may have preferred his Martini shaken and as cold as possible, but some people may prefer theirs stirred. The reason some preferred stirred is because they don’t want to bruise the gin or vodka which would mean getting little chunks of ice mixed with the alcohol.

If you will be making a stirred martini then a mixing spoon is essential. This is an elongated spoon with the head about the size of a teaspoon, and the handle is swirled. The swirled handle makes it easy to quickly stir your drink and the length makes it easy to reach the bottom of the tumbler.

The most common shakers are stainless steel, but many have leather grips or powder coated surfaces. The powder coated ones are my favorite because they come in lots of great colors. Although I’ve yet to find one in a wild design or paisley pattern.

If you are interested in a unique art deco shaker there are many available at antique and vintage shops. I saw a twist cocktail shaker at Neiman Marcus. It looked like a screw with a bullet on the end. This fluid twist design was part of the Nambe collection. They make unique high end products.

Some cocktail shops have plastic shakers in different colors and designs, such as the poker martini shaker which is white with a heart, a spade, a diamond, and a club emblem on it.

You can also order personalized and monogrammed shakers. Another one of my favorites is the classic crystal shaker with a stainless top. There is something for everyone when it comes to creating your perfect martini or signature cocktail, with a personalized shaker.

Another great place for shopping for unique and vintage shakers is a site called Ruby Lane. They have a rare Currier & Roby shaker made of copper with a silver overlay. There is also a Silver plate version of the sterling shaker.

I also really like the Paden City Glass rooster cocktail shaker. But then I collect rooster collectibles. They also have vintage shakers with recipes printed on the sides and a chrome etched wheat shaker.

If your in the holiday spirit you can find Christmas shakers and shakers with dogs and pheasants on the sides. And there is always the ever popular dial a recipe shaker. I guess these were a hit in the 1950’s.

My two favorite vintage shakers are the green tint with stripes vintage shaker made with depression glass and the ruby cocktail shaker. Cocktails can liven up any party and these unique shakers will liven up your bar and your conversations.

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Oprah’s favorite Martini is the Pomegranate Martini. How can one complain about anti-oxidants and Vodka? Sex and the City fans helped spread the popularity of the Cosmopolitan.

I have a friend who took a week off of work just to try and create the perfect Martini. She ended up being an Appletini fan. Many hip restaurants feature a Chocolate Martini. And now the latest Martini craze seems to be the Espresso Martini.

Modern Martini Recipes

Lemon Drop Martini

2oz Lemon Vodka

½oz Triple sec

4 – 8 squeezed lemons (Add used Lemons to tumbler)

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, Shake vigorously

Rim Martini Glass with Sugar

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass No Ice (Up) Preferred* or over Ice (Rocks)

Garnish with lemon twist

Pomegranate Martini

3oz Citrus Vodka

3oz Pomegranate juice

lemon rind

ice

place 2 martini glasses in freezer for about 5 hours

add ice vodka and juice to martini shaker

shake thoroughly and pour into chilled martini glasses

garnish with corkscrew of lemon rind

Cosmopolitan Martini

1½oz Vodka

½oz Triple sec

2 oz Cranberry juice

1 oz Lime juice or 2 fresh squeezed lime wedges

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, Shake vigorously

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass, Shake to add ice chips No Ice (Up) Preferred* or over Ice (Rocks)

Garnish with lime or cranberries or both

Apple Martini

1oz Vodka

1oz Sour apple

2-3 oz Lime juice

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, Shake vigorously

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass No Ice (Up) Preferred* or Over Ice (Rocks)

Garnish with Lime wedge or dried apple chip.

Chocolate Martini

1 oz Vodka

1 oz Crème de cacao

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, Shake vigorously

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass – No Ice (Up) Preferred* or over Ice (Rocks)

Garnish with cherries, cranberries or chocolate sprinkles

Espresso Martini

1 oz Vodka

1 oz Kahlua or Coffee Licquer

1 Shot of Espresso

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, Shake vigorously

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass – No Ice (Up) Preferred* or over Ice (Rocks)

Garnish with 3 Espresso beans

Gin Martini

2oz Dry Gin

1 dash of dry vermouth

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, stir or Shake (Shaken will bruise the gin making it cloudy)

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass using strainer, Shake to add ice chips No Ice (Up) or over Ice (Rocks) if rocks, use the ice from the shaker

Garnish with 2 olives or a twist of lemon

Vodka Martini

2oz Vodka

1 dash of dry vermouth

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, stir or Shake

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass using strainer, Shake to add ice chips No Ice (Up) or over Ice (Rocks) if rocks, use the ice from the shaker

Garnish with 2 olives or a twist of lemon

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Dirty Martini

2oz Vodka or 2oz Gin

1 dash of dry vermouth

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, stir or Shake

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass using strainer, Shake to add ice chips No Ice (Up) or over Ice (Rocks) if rocks, use the ice from the shaker

Add 1-2 teaspoons of Olive Brine. The more Brine you use, the dirtier the martini

Garnish with 2 olives

Gibson Martini

2oz Dry Gin

1 dash of dry vermouth

Pour into a martini Shaker over ice, stir or Shake (Shaken will bruise the gin making it cloudy)

Strain, Pour into a chilled martini glass using strainer, Shake to add ice chips No Ice (Up) or over Ice (Rocks) if rocks, use the ice from the shaker

Garnish with pickled Pearl Onions