Swizzlesticks!
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Bayaleau point, carriacou
Swizzlesticks are the most under-appreciated of cocktail accessories and that fact bums me out.
There was a time when the swizzlestick was the proud axis around which any cocktail revolved. But somewhere along the way they got replaced by the short skinny straw. Or even worse, by a few quick swishes with a nearby butter knife.
Enough I say! We are not animals!
It's time to bring the swizzlestick back to its former glory. They still make them, of course. You can buy new ones at ... ah hell, I don't know where to buy new ones. That's because there are way better options out there. Such as:
- Buy vintage swizzlesticks on ebay. You can usually get a kajillion of 'em for around $10. Lufthansa, Playboy Club, West Bend Community Insurance Company and Grocery Store. You can't go wrong!
- Make your own. This is the best option of all. Because you know what the key word is in swizzlesticks? Sticks! They're just sticks! So: go get some sticks. Whittle 'em up. Use 'em to mix drinks.
There's something nice about a homemade swizzle stick. How far you want to go on the fanciness scale is up to you. When we were on Carriacou a few years ago, I collected sea fan parts that had washed up on the beach. The structural part that remains after floating around a while looks like burnished wood. And it's super duper hard. (It took a wire-cutter to get through.) Anyway, I saved some for swizzlesticks. Used them while we were down there. And then cleaned them up a bit more when I got home. Hit them with a little food-safe mineral oil (like what you use on butcher blocks) and now they gleam like a deep dark tropical tan.
So seriously. Go make some swizzlesticks! A little bit of handiwork and you too can drink like a champion!