Interview with Tomek Roehr Part 2

Which is your favourite shaker and why?
I think my favourite thing in my collection is actually not a shaker but a set I managed to obtain. It’s made up of a shaker, ice bucket, soda and cream siphon. They may not be very old but the blue metal net around them is really a wonderful thing. They are all in pristine condition.


I’m always on the lookout for sets even if it’s a simple shaker ice bucket duo like one of these below.


And do you have one with a personal story?
Only the one which belonged to my grandfather really that is the most prized thing in my collection for obvious reasons. I often wonder where and how my grandfather might have used this shaker. He travelled around quite a lot so I wonder if this shaker often travelled with him.
I think that one of the attractions of collecting vintage barware it that it’s wonderful to think about how a shaker may have been used a long time ago, by whom and where.
Is there still a cocktail shaker or bar item you have heard about but never seen? Something like the Holy Grail of Shakers?
Actually, living in Poland there are a few bar items that I’ve never seen. The bartending trade was very badly affected by communism here in my opinion, especially considering that in the inter-war period there were many great bars in Warszawa. Until recently I had never seen a real ice shaver but I just happened to come across it in an antique shop the other day. I’m still searching for an antique ice cracker.

What do you think about modern bar design; ie; the Flip Top shaker by Metrokane?

This particular model I’m not too keep on. I generally prefer shakers made of metal and glass or crystal. Plastic just doesn’t do it for me. The only exception from this rule is the Perlini shaker by Perlage Systems, but that is because of its intended use – carbonating cocktails.
Do you think reproducing vintage shakers is a good idea?
Yes because some of those designs are just amazing. I like the reproductions that you can find in Japanese equipment shop Naranja.co.jp or http://www.cocktailshaker.com/ for example. I think it’s great that anyone can buy a shaker which is identical to vintage shakers not produced anymore and be able to enjoy them. As long as people aren’t fooled into thinking that they are real vintage shakers then it’s great.

What are your future projects and plans?
The future is to build my collection as much as possible and feasible. I would like to be able to spend more time on finding out about vintage shakers and reading more books on them. However, for the moment it seems that other projects will be taking more of the spotlight. I’m always looking for new things for my collection.
Can you tell us a few homepages where we can find further information about shakers and bar ware?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of time to devote to this part of my fascination. I don’t really know many websites apart from the usual ones like: http://www.cocktailshakers.com/ and http://www.thejazzage.com/. I really like http://www.icetoolcollections.com/ and of course http://shakerliebe.blogspot.com/.

Thank you Tomek, for this interesting interview. I think you showed up well the difficulties for collectors outside of the USA.

Interview with Tomek Roehr Part 1

Personal information:

My name is Tomek Roehr and I’m based in Warszawa, Poland. I got interested in all things cocktail related a few years ago while organizing an event with Dre Masso and Henry Besant of The Worldwide Cocktail Club. Over the last few years it has developed into a real passion. Last year I started a blog called Alkoteka. (www.alkoteka.pl) to promote cocktail culture and responsible consumption of alcohol here. I’m particularly fond of old siphons and all kinds of barware.

How did you get started collecting?
It seems to have evolved together with my fascination for all things cocktail related – books, glasses, siphons and shakers. The more I immersed myself in this area the more fascinated I became with the history and tools used to create cocktails.
The first shaker I ever got was a pre WWII shaker which belonged to my grandfather which is a family heirloom. Walking along a street in Warsaw about 3 years ago, I noticed an old shaker which I had seen in various books.


It was this one. The price was very attractive so I bought it. I started surfing the internet and realized that you can find some interesting old shakers in Poland. The availability of shakers here is very limited compared to other countries but it’s still possible to find some interesting pieces every now and again. I buy things mostly for their design and appearance more than historic value.

How many shakers do you have and how do you store them?
I have about 20 shakers at the moment. They have all just been polished and hidden away in bubble wrap after a small showing for World Cocktail Day in a bar in Warsaw. If my wife and I had more room in our flat I would definitely show them off more but that will have to wait.

Which is the oldest and which did you buy last?
The oldest is this one which is from the beginning of the 20th century and has a very interesting “metal branch” inside which is apparently meant to help emulsify eggs. It needs a bit of refitting of the corks to bring it to a useable state.

The last ones I bought are two WMF shakers. I call them big brother and small brother. Identical shakers except one is 0,5L and the other 0,7L. They should be arriving any day now.