As the cocktail originated in America in the 1800s, so did the shaker. The original style of modern-day shakers was the “Boston” shaker, composed of a metal tin and a pint glass stacked crookedly together to form a tight seal. As the craft of American cocktails traveled overseas, the Parisian shaker emerged in Europe just a few decades later…this style was more aesthetic in appearance, matching the perhaps more grandeur lifestyles of Parisian socialites.

With the Parisian shaker, the 2-piece metal tin creates melodic jingles while shaking, and the smooth urn-shaped construction makes for a sleek decorative piece when not in use. It predated the now-popular 3-piece cobbler shaker, which came soon after…the Cobbler is similar in shape to to the Parisian, but has a built-in strainer on top, which is sometimes limiting depending on what you’re straining and a bit more awkward to hold while shaking.

Thanks to Nou Living, I’m now the proud owner of this beauty. If you’ve ever wanted to try out the classic Parisian shaker, the Nou Living kit is a great choice. It has a beautiful mirrored gunmetal finish (maybe not super practical for a high-volume bar, but amazing for the home bartender for general entertaining). Usability-wise, it works similar to a tin-on-tin Boston shaker, but seals more tightly. It feels great in the hands and is just a thing of beauty. The mirror finish does require some tending to, but hey, that’s the price you pay for the glamour.