Forgive us for maligning a favorite film hero, but James Bond had it all wrong. Martinis are best when stirred, not shaken. And to stir in absolute style, we suggest reaching for a Japanese mixing glass.
Beyond bringing looks to the table with eye-catching design, Japanese barware has plenty of function to back up form. These tools make drinks that your guests will long remember, and they have a storied history.
“The Japanese influence on American bartending is pretty profound,” says Greg Boehm, owner and founder of Cocktail Kingdom LLC, a Manhattan-based company that sells a wide range of high-end barware, much of it inspired by Japanese designs. During the late 1800s, what Boehm calls “the golden age” of cocktail culture in America, Japanese craftsmen began to emulate the superb…