Ever since acquiring my favorite piece of furniture, I've been delving into the mysteries of mixology bit by bit. It's one of those things that I was initially drawn to in college, due to a fascination for the intricate alchemy that is the mixture of strange liquids in all sorts of colors, but I was too poor then to be able to afford the necessary ingredients and hadn't yet developed a palate for more unusual tastes. Once we decided not to become house-poor by buying a new place but instead concentrated on making the place we had more livable, I began stocking up on different liquors, having already begun a love affair with the gin martini (dry as can be) two years ago.

In that time, I've had three cocktail shakers, and tried several others, and I've finally found the one that, to me, is perfection: the OXO 16-oz Cocktail Shaker. Yes, I know that real mixologists swear by the Boston-type shaker, which is basically a stainless steel container which you can fit a glass of similar proportions into, and I haven't really given that one a fair shake. But the OXO has some things that make it more appealing. It is easier to pour from without making a mess. The double wall construction of the main portion make it possible to hold onto it while shaking without freezer burning your hand. And, best of all, it's dishwasher safe! It's large enough to handle making two drinks at once and it doesn't leak, unlike the last large stainless steel shaker I had.

My mother-in-law was the first to introduce me to the OXO line, as we continue to get new additions to our OXO collection every Christmas. Everything we've got by them is well-designed and great to use (including the other bar accessory, the citrus strainer). I shouldn't have been surprised that their shaker is great.