Pewter Cocktail Shaker

Description from Kaufmann Mercantile

Pewter cocktail shaker made by pewter craftsmen in the Lombardia region of Italy. Strong metal, very slow to oxidize. Has a vintage look. Ready to be filled with ice and shaken. Ships free. 

A lustrous, corrosion-resistant metal that tarnishes very, very slowly, pewter makes a fine material for a cocktail shaker. Add the fact that it’s been hand spun by artisans in Northern Italy, and you have a truly unique bar accessory, stamped with the touchmark of its makers.

Today, tin (the primary metal in pewter) is one of the world’s top four most valuable metals, three times the expense of copper and not at all easy to procure, yet highly sought after for its strength, and resistance to oxidation. While most other metal cocktail shakers, like aluminum, react badly to liquor and acids, tarnishing easily and sometimes leaving a “brassy” taste, modern pewter will only develop a darker spot if left with highly acidic liquids overnight. Most people don’t mind this anyway- it adds to the character of the piece. And that’s the beauty of new pewter. Its untouched surface – like brand new, raw denim jeans – will develop an appearance that reflects your life. Every dent, every scratch, will be yours. “It was the character of the metal that attracted me to it,” said David Reiss, the designer and founder of Match, the shaker’s manufacturer. “Every material has a soul,” he said, “and to me, that’s what pewter had.”