An almost-forgotten design of shaker dating back to the 1930s has been brought back by the team behind Monkey Shoulder whisky.
The Konga Shaker mixes drinks by rotating a large flask-like tin using two red handles in a circular motion. Invented by Kromex, it has been “remastered” by Monkey Shoulder’s global brand ambassador Dean Callan.
The brand, part of William Grant & Sons, has had only 250 of the new Konga Shaker produced, unveiling them to the bar trade at events in London, Paris and New York City last night.
Only 50 have been made available in the UK, although more are coming, which will be given to selected bars.
Click here for Monkey Shoulder’s video showing how the Konga Shaker works, featuring many familiar faces from the bar trade.
Manufactured to the original design, the Monkey Shoulder Konga Shaker retains its stainless steel cylinder and red plastic handles but also features some useful modern updates, particularly to the sieve, to simplify assembly and perfect the pour. It can hold up to four cocktail serves at a time.
The original Konga Shakers ceased production in the 1970s and have become highly collectible, with some older ones changing hands for hundreds of pounds.
Dean said: “Cocktail bars should always be fun, but even they are starting to take themselves a little seriously these days. The Konga Shaker is set to change that.
“It represents all that’s good about cocktail making – theatre, sociability and great-tasting drinks – so it made perfect sense for us to bring it back. We created multiple prototypes to perfect the final product and can’t wait to see them back behind the bar once more.”
The Konga Shaker follows Monkey Shoulder’s iSpoon in 2014 – an extra-long, sleekly retractable bar spoon.
It is all part of Monkey Shoulder’s aim to be a modern and fun brand. Dean explained: “Whilst William Grant & Sons has been making whisky for generations, Monkey Shoulder aims to take away some of the preconceptions about whisky, making it accessible and enjoyable to all.”
