The Cobalt Cocktail Shaker

This past summer this company asked me if I would demo and rate the new Cobalt Cocktail Shaker. Being one to never look a gift horse in the mouth. I took the free swag and gave it a whirl. I realize this could be a slippery slope and seeing as Cobalt did send this to me free of charge I should rant and rave the product. However I am also not one to sell out. Channelling my inner Mark Cuban on Shark Tank, I am going to give it to you you straight.

So I threw together a little shin-dig one Saturday evening with a group of friends that enjoy my creations and a good party. Turned down the lights and turned up the volume and gave the Cobalt Shaker a fair shake!

Pros: The Cobalt Shaker is made of a sturdy stainless steel shell. Much like any other shaker. It seems just a touch heavier the the run of the mill over the counter brand. The differences come in the appearance and design. 

Appearance - The blue seal between the shaker cup and the strainer creates one hell of a seal as you will see below. Although the color and style of the shaker makes for a nice, clean table presentation. 

Design - The jagged inner ring that sits within the stainer when shook correctly gives you tiny shards of ice that float atop your martini. This forms a thin layer over the cocktail and thus keeps the drink colder for longer and maintains the integrity of flavor.

Con's: First of all is the hefty $69 price tag. At this price it is already siding with the elite martini connoisseur.

Next the blue seal ring between the cup and the strainer when ice cold from shaking is tough to separate for a quick cleaning and turn around. More than a few times I had to run the shaker under hot water for a minute in order to reduce the seal lock. If you are a bartender in the weeds this shaker is going to be a tough one to use unless you have multiples.

Lastly, if in a hurry you have to be careful not to cut  or prick yourself on the sharp inner ring meant to cut the ice. Like my Grandfather always use to say: It's not OK if you prick your finger, but even worse if seen fingering your... (you get the picture.)  

Overall: I could easily see the Cobalt Shaker in use at fine dining establishments and home parties. The color and design is clean and would look terrific when presenting especially table side or make you look like a pro with friends. As we in the bar tending game know, sometimes it is all about presentation and 80% of a great martini is a good presentation. The Cobalt Shaker performed well and the thin layer of ice does a nice job of protecting the flavor of the cocktail and not diluting the blend.

If you would like to pick one up here on the Cobalt Shaker website.

Cheers!

If you don't like my opinion, here is a far better looking guy than me giving you his opinion and telling you a bit more about the Cobalt Shaker...