Design Guilt

A few weeks ago I did a presentation on cocktails, in the process of which I misplaced my ‘Alessi’. I was bereft.

I know. It sounds odd.

In theory, the only thing worse than a 3-part cocktail shaker with a built in strainer is one with a gimmick brand. It’s the kind of design overkill that makes life miserable on about a thousand different levels. It’s going to leak... the lid’s going to jam... it’ll be a bastard to clean. Why the hell don’t we just stick to the ‘Boston’ tins like eighteen generations of professional barmen?

The thing is, though. There’s one particular cocktail that I love unreasonably, for which the Alessi 870 is perfect.

I’ve written elsewhere about the Daiquiri I had in Venice. Yes, of course the Daiquiri is a Cuban, rum-based sour - Jesus, it’s named after the town where Bacardi had their factory - but the way it was served to me was as a clean, simple aperitivo, made with Sicilian lemons instead of Cuban limes. Incredible calm and stylish. I make it with a very pure and uncomplicated light rum (the one I was served was Bacardi which is effectively neutral, but I use Eminente Claro which is still near-clear, just a tad more nuanced.)

It’s weird, but that particular combination seems, to me at least, more Italian than anything else.

So the Alessi L 870/50 Cocktail Shaker in 18/10 Stainless Steel. Mirror Polished, Silver, 500 ml, designed in 1957 by Carlo Mazzeri & Luigi Massoni, might, to you, be just the most utterly predictably naff bit of 1990’s Conran Shop yuppie tat, but to me, utterly mission critical.

It expresses a kind of raffish, rackety sprezzatura, but also the cocktail itself requires a premade sour mix and, being a sour, a shake rather than a stir.

The ‘870’ has a neat 500ml capacity, so it’s full of ice faster than a Mil-spec ‘Boston’. That means it’s also great for a ‘45ml sour mix:120ml rum’ load. That’s gratifyingly larger than a single glass. I pre-make the lemon juice/syrup mix and filter it precisely so there’s no requirement for fine straining. The built-in strainer is entirely sufficient. And the last 3rd of the mixed cocktail can happily sit on the ice, ready for expedient refills.

It’s pretty much ideal.

Anyway. They’re dirt cheap on Ebay. God knows... probably dozens of tragic old yuppie admen selling off their last remaining effects to make a few quid after final job loss and catastrophic divorce... but it’s a design classic for a reason, and I’m glad I’ve managed to replace mine for £29.00.

I’m just topping up from my ‘870’ now and wondering about making up another batch of sour mix from the Sicilian lemons I found in Waitrose.

But, whatever happens... if I ever tell you I’m looking for a Philippe Starck ‘Juicy Salif’ lemon squeezer... just shoot me.