Holiday spirits: The gifts to give

Scribe Gerald Nachman rightly claimed, "The best thing about a cocktail party is being asked to it." This holiday season, as you find yourself sharing through the pocketbook, seize the opportunity to inspire a few of your drinking compatriots with gifts sure to get you invited to their homes for the next cocktail soiree.

Before I get started on the holiday wares worth considering this year, remember that most - and in fact, the best - gifts can be found at thrift stores, garage sales (yes, we still have those here in December), and antique shops. Nowadays, most of the cocktail paraphernalia you'll find in stores are reproductions at best. They may look nice enough, but they'll almost certainly lack the quality, weight, and class of those from the past. On top of that, these items are usually overpriced by companies that pay their third world labor far too little - always a dampening thought at cocktail parties filled with sensitive sulks.

But knowing that successful thrift-store shopping never happens on demand, I've included some stores, along with their toll-free numbers, that offer cocktail items, as well as a couple of gifts that anyone can make at home. For starters, the mixing tool that's most often missing even from the drawers of experienced bartenders is a hand juicer. Today's automatic juicemakers are just overkill when it comes to the art of drink-making. Good news, though - my favorite junk-mail item, the J. Peterman catalog, has introduced another worthy publication, Peterman's Eye ([800] 231 7341). In it, you'll find many pleasures of the home, but two juicers in particular are worthy of mention. The company is peddling a teak lime juicer for just US$15. The juicer proves quite durable under the rigors of home bartending, despite its small size. You'll find it perfect for those friends particularly fond of Mojitos and organic fruits, which tend to be smaller than their fertilizer-fed counterparts. If you're wanting something closer to that of the professional, and you're willing to spend more, Peterman's Eye also offers a juice press. For $95, this model is the least expensive of the so-called professional models. Although made of aluminum, which isn't nearly as durable as stainless steel or other metals, this juicer's polished effect will still do wonders for your reputation. Large enough to hold oranges and small grapefruits, the only downside to Peterman's juicer is that you'll have to find a cup the right size to fit under the press for collecting the liquid.

Not quite as sculptural, but more efficient, is the Citrus Pro Juicer by Williams-Sonoma ([800] 541 2233). For a mere $149, you can have a juicer with rack-and-pinion gearing that offers more than 1,000 pounds of pressure on your fruit. It comes with a swing-away drip cup and a stainless-steel reamer and funnel. Too sterile for my tastes, but effective nonetheless.

If you're after something less expensive but with the look and feel of stainless steel, consider Williams-Sonoma's SS Citrus Reamer. The reamer can handle just about any citrus fruit, but I wouldn't recommend using a hand reamer on occasions when more than 20 drinks will be made. If you have to squeeze too many limes or lemons with a tool like this, you'll find your hands raw from the fruit's citric acid. For occasional or daily aperitif cocktails, though, this juicer is one of the best options.

The shaker is probably the next most important tool that any of your friends or family will need. Last season, I was quite excited to see Pottery Barn had a shaker from years gone by: "A faithful replica of a 1930s design, this functional shaker allows even the first-time bartenders to make 15 classics, from a Palm Beach to a Sidecar." But faithful is the last word I'd use to describe this design now that I've inspected one. Cheap knockoff is more like it, though cheap it is not. Sure, the way the outer sleeve of the shaker spins to highlight a drink recipe is crafty, but try getting the lid to seal, or if you manage that, try getting the pour cap off. Shakers like this keep first-time mixers from ever trying again. This one is stainless steel and costs $39. For less than $20, I've purchased two sterling-plated originals at secondhand shops.

Sadly, nearly all practical shakers will have to come from antique and collectible stores. Of course, if a friend truly appreciates usable gifts, then a glass pint, a stainless-steel mixing cup, and a strainer are as genuine as any tool of a professional bartender. cocktail with a pint glass upside down in a mixing cup requires practice, but the whole package can cost less than 10 bucks. Of course, you can always spend more, and if stirred cocktails like Manhattans are someone's favorites, consider Williams-Sonoma's monogrammed stainless-steel mixing cup with strainer for $50. The package is quite tasteful, but minus the monogram - though discounted to $40 - the mixer will look more like a specimen cup from the local clinic than a mixing cup from your cupboard.

If you like the monogram motif, but Martinis aren't the goal, Pottery Barn ([800] 922 5507) has a lovely silver-plated brass ice bucket that comes with a single initial. Simply understated, this bucket, selling for $49, is perfect for chilling a bottle of vodka, champagne, or, if you must, a chardonnay. But buy this for friends and family only if you know they already have the truly needed bar tools. Also, Pottery Barn offers handsome silver ice tongs for $9.

The last extraneous bar accoutrement you might opt for is the soda syphon. I must have purchased a dozen or so of these at flea markets, only to find they never worked. Then I happened upon one of these beauties made in the Czech Republic and sold by Williams-Sonoma. The glass syphon is sheathed in a chrome mesh and looks great behind any bar; it also works just as well. The syphon costs $39, but you'll need to drop another $7.50 for a package of 10 CO₂ cartridges. Rest assured there will be no more excuses for flat Collinses, and if the gift recipient ever hosts a kids' party, this syphon can be used to make flavored fountain sodas.

If none of these gifts quite suits your friends or family, consider the evergreen gifts of the cocktail world: glassware, cordials, or even a bottle of maraschino. Often under or around $20, these liqueurs are appreciated by home bartenders who realize there's a drink for every occasion.

If you're a gift-giver who believes the best presents are homemade, try mixing simple syrup and packaging it in a suitable decanter, maybe even sealing it with wax. Believe me, this gift will be more useful than those fancy bottles filled with cheap olive oil, twigs, and pine cones. But, of course, the most welcome present just might be an invitation to a special cocktail party serving up someone's favorite all night.