This Cocktail Subscription Kit Will Turn Your Home Into Your Favorite Bar

I was a bartender for ten years at the kind of restaurant in Manhattan where every cocktail on the list had some sort of customization component. So naturally, I have a bar cart at home stocked with dozens of spirits and liqueurs, as well as no fewer than six varieties of bitters.

That being said, if I had you this minute, I could make you… a margarita? perhaps? (I think there’s some lime juice in the fridge…) Definitely a Manhattan – no wait, how old is this absinthe? Very good, one martinibut it will be very dry and decorated with questionable olives hidden inside back of refrigerator.

Making or drinking a cocktail at home is never quite the same as making or drinking it at a restaurant or bar, where quantity and scalability play a big role in the variety of ingredients available. At least that’s what I thought until I found out Shaker and spoona monthly cocktail subscription kit that delivers ingredients and instructions to your door, literally helping to turn your home bar into a place worth staying in.

Here’s everything you need to know about Shaker and Spoon that might sway or inspire you to subscribe. (Looking for more monthly food and drink clubs for those on your good list? Here are the Best food and drink subscriptions for this holiday and Best food delivery service Keep them fed.

Snapshot of shaker and spoon

• Serve: Monthly Cocktail Kit Subscription Box. Cocktail kits can also be purchased individually, no subscription required. Individual toppings and barware are also available for sale.
• product: Each box contains a variety of ingredients for making three different cocktails based on the same base liquor (not included).
• Availability: Shaker and Spoon can ship to all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories and U.S. overseas military bases. There is no alcohol in the shipment so an adult signature is not required for delivery.
• cost: Monthly subscription boxes cost between $50 and $59, depending on how long you commit up front. In addition to the subscription fee, there is a monthly shipping fee of $8. Get free boxes through referrals.

What is a shaker and spoon?

Shaker and Spoon is a Brooklyn-based cocktail kit subscription service that aims to give home bartenders the ability to craft expert cocktails like you’d find at a cocktail bar, without the need to buy or make the esoteric ingredients you might just An ounce or two. Subscription boxes include expertly crafted ingredients like syrups, shrubs, and liqueurs, as well as handcrafted sodas, bitters, mixers, and garnishes. Cocktail kits are formulated with recipes crafted by renowned bartenders and cocktail experts, allowing you to sample the world’s best cocktail bars anytime, anywhere.

How does it work?

Each month’s Shaker and Spoon subscription box has a unique theme and includes three cocktails based on a single base liquor. The box contains all the ingredients needed to make three cocktails, plus a recipe and instruction guide, minus the base liquor itself. The amount of each ingredient is enough to make 4 of each cocktail, for a total of 12 cocktails per month. (That’s about the size of a standard 750-ml alcohol bottle, assuming most cocktail serving sizes are 2 ounces.) The only extra ingredients not included in some boxes may be standard kitchen items, such as egg whites, which are difficult to transport fresh.

Subscribers will receive an email prior to delivery outlining that month’s box, letting them know what tools they will need and providing recommendations on specific spirits to consider. Typical barware can be purchased on Shaker and Spoon’s website, but the site also offers workarounds for those who don’t have the typical bartending tools. (Cocktails can be made and shaken in mason jars with tight-fitting lids, and any container that measures liquid volume can be used to dispense the ingredients.)

Boxes usually contain at least one shaken cocktail and one stirred cocktail. Some boxes may also contain more difficult recipes, such as smoked cocktails or cocktails made with egg whites, which may require a blender (or long shake). A box that celebrates the emerging category of American whiskey that doesn’t fit neatly into the categories of bourbon, rye whiskey, or Tennessee whiskey.

If you’re not interested in a particular month’s box, subscribers can opt out for a month, give their box away to someone else, or exchange it for a different box, depending on availability in previous months. Boxes can also be purchased individually, without a subscription.

Creative cocktails, simple and easy to make

I tested three subscription kits from Shaker and Spoon: Totally Tequila, Gin Ne Sais Quoi, and The Ballad of Irish Whiskey. (I give them high marks for their puns throughout. All of the cocktails have names I wouldn’t cringe to ask out loud.) Not a single cocktail in this bunch is dud—all nine are things I’d order , given it’s on the bar menu, I’d happily order and drink again.

Recipes are often simple, which is important for subscription kits to make consumers feel successful. Every box I tested contained a fairly simple shaken cocktail and an equally simple stirred cocktail. The third is the mixing bag, which sometimes is just another variation of the shaking or blending process, but sometimes involves pumping a glass, creating crushed ice, or stirring a blender. Any terms that might be unfamiliar are immediately given simple definitions: whip shaking, for example, involves shaking individual ice cubes “vigorously until you no longer hear the sound of the ice.”

In my opinion, the real beauty of Shaker and Spoon, besides its simplicity, is its raw, homemade ingredients. The box also includes other packaged ingredients like sparkling water, all of which are from great brands, but I personally tasted each custom ingredient, which is where the home bartender really gets the edge with the products offered by Shaker and Spoon . There’s a thoughtful, flavor-forward and interesting approach to ingredients here, along with a professional cocktail-making experience, in a space with the access and amenities you’d expect from a bar and restaurant: jasmine oolong tea syrup, citrus pepper liqueur, rosemary beet Shrub, cranberry walnut bitters and more.

More tips on ice would be great

To my taste, the only room for improvement in Shaker and Spoon’s offerings would be to pay more attention to the ice in their materials, especially given the vast variation in products consumers may use. On the one hand, I think the service relies on the assumption that many subscribers use ice from ice cube trays, or from automatic machines on refrigerators, but the range is still wide. Recipes allow for visual cues, such as “Shake until ice cold and frost appears on the outside,” but also suggest times, such as “15-30 seconds.” This is a sizable time change that can actually affect a well-balanced or watered-down cocktail, especially if the user is using bagged ice in this situation.

That said, I found the cocktails to be so outstanding (even using tray ice) that I don’t think the average consumer would notice much. Or they will learn along the way and adjust accordingly.

Shaker and Spoon Subscriptions and Pricing

this Standard price for shaker and spoon box With a monthly subscription or purchased individually, the price is $59, plus $8 shipping. The more you pay upfront, the lower the price per box. Three months upfront costs $169, or $56 per box; six months upfront costs $319, or $53 per box; 12 months upfront costs $599, or $50 per box.

Even on a monthly basis, $59 is a great value. Factoring in shipping costs and the cost of the bottle of spirit you have to buy yourself (assuming an average of $40), each cocktail will cost less than $9. (It’s even lower than that, if you’re opting for cheaper spirits, and there are plenty of great options for under $40 with a wide variety.) Admittedly, I have a New York blindness, which leads me to believe that big Most quality cocktails at this level cost at least $20, but an interesting $9 cocktail is a steal in almost every market.

Who is Shaker and Spoon suitable for?

Shaker and Spoon is particularly suitable for those who are not only interested in drinking delicious cocktails (although this is enough to get started) but also want to learn about cocktails. If you do this every month, you’ll learn a few tricks and your cocktail game will improve, even if you’re just making drinks between boxes with whatever you have on hand.

At $59 per box, it’s also a great gift option without having to sign up to someone for the entire subscription process.

Who isn’t Shaker and Spoon suitable?

If you prefer non-alcoholic cocktails, this is not the best fit. However, customized shrubs, cordials and syrups can make for interesting concoctions, and there is occasional wording in the materials about tweaking non-alcoholic options. For a mixed family where one person is looking for alcoholic cocktails and the other is looking for non-alcoholic cocktails this is totally doable, but for completely non-alcoholic plans I would look elsewhere.

Final Verdict on Shaker and Spoon Cocktail Subscriptions

Honestly, if you love cocktails and are eager to make them at home, don’t hesitate. It’s a thoughtful, affordable, and well-executed subscription service that offers you the opportunity to have world-class cocktails delivered to your door.