Autumn 2016


The Party Spirit


or owl, with delightful silver heads, glass bodies and eyes, or a c1920s tower-style number, where the sil- ver top of a carved mahogany turret lifts off, revealing a porcelain liner. Co-founder Colin Smith also carries handsome alligator and silver hip flasks, “which have a wonderful military quality”, he says, as well as brilliant shakers shaped as airplanes. Also eye-catching are his tortoiseshell and shagreen silver photo frames that, in the context of Prohibition-era entertaining, were the kind of beautiful items then found in smart London homes in Berkeley and Grosvenor Square, says Smith. A successful party needs sparkling conversation,


– not to mention fabulous food and drink – to create exclusive events. These are just two of the one-off immersive drink- ing experiences that are taking London, and beyond, by storm. Classic cocktails may be more popular than ever – with every bar under the moon seeming to have its own house Negroni or Manhattan – yet people now want something different. “Drinking somewhere com- pletely unexpected is cool and exciting,” says George McLean, event manager at The Cocktail Service, who was behind the Berkeley Square Gin martinis for Har- dy Amies. Whether it’s a steampunk-themed party at a country castle, or an 1870s San Francisco Chinatown opium den with tea-infused cocktails: “If you can have your favourite drink in a place you’d never imagined, it feels special,” says McLean. And while the drinks themselves are key, so too are all the accoutrements. “Every single element should take you back to the specific era,” says Mr Templeton. At this year’s LAPADA antiques fair, several dealers will exhibit a host of era-defining barware – from original shakers and ice buckets to decanters and glasses – enabling one to truly look the part for whatever theme calls. At the most coveted are pieces from the art deco period, the epitome of stylish drinking and socialis- ing. “The Twenties and Thirties, when booze was pro- hibited in America, were the heyday for cocktails and decadent living,” says specialist dealer Jeroen Mar- kies. “Drinking became highly desirable, and that’s when you get these fantastic, fun pieces made for the very rich.” A shining example is his Thirst Extinguish- er, a cocktail shaker fashioned after a fire hydrant that reveals various drink recipes when turned. Made by Asprey, “it would have been very expensive in its day,” says Markies, who also carries drinks cabinets and ice buckets, including a beautiful art nouveau wine cooler decorated with mermaids and cherubs. London dealers Smith & Robinson also specialise in art deco designs, some of which are truly rare and won- derful. Cue the novelty ice buckets in the form of a dog


something these under-the-radar pop-ups like- wise achieve. For one exploration-themed event, Mr Mclean used edible flora and bamboo straws for his cocktails. “It was an exciting touch and something to talk about,” he recalls. Mr Templeton further adds that “People want to talk about their night in the office the next day.” Often the barware alone is the talking point. Sure to break the ice is Richard Hoppé’s flam- boyant decanter set by Austrian maker Bimini; the c1940-50s piece pairs delicate, sea-green glass with white stems fashioned from female nudes. A conti- nental glass specialist, Hoppé also stocks a resplen- dent Czech floral-motif and silver-inlay decanter and glass set, and a geometric panel cut glass piece that oozes Jazz Age chic. Mark Goodger at Hampton Antiques also offers


gorgeous decanters, including an Asprey pair with star cut bases, plus several splendid pieces by renowned silversmiths Hukin & Heath. He also carries tanta- luses, the designs of which should further spark up the chat: their locking mechanisms not only look fantastic – some with superb, original keys – but also speak to an era when the liquor was locked up. “From staff, chil- dren, that one particular friend, anyone,” says Adam Langford, of Langfords, whose 1929 Hukin & Heath crystal decanter is topped with an integrated – and ful- ly functioning – spring loaded catch.


21


Bimini decanter set, c.1950s, Richard Hoppé Antiques


Large Edwardian silver tankard with boar tusk handle by Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company of London, 1909, Langford Antiques


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