Cheers to happy hour: 5 bar accessories that will revamp your evening hours
Maybe it’s because, even years after the end of the great recession, the economy still feels shakier than Anthony Weiner’s comeback campaign. Or maybe it’s because the Blue Jays haven’t won the World Series since Kim Campbell was prime minister. Either way, us Canadians love to drink. Last year, in Ontario alone, the LCBO sold a record $4.9-billion worth of hooch. And nationwide, the average, of-age Canuck spends more than $700 a year getting tipsy.
<b>Nice wheels</b><br> <br>Dutch studio GamFratesi’s bar cart looks like a Roman chariot as updated by Pantone, with its giant wheels resembling dazzling red paint chips. It’s a stripped-down, simple piece but thoughtfully put together. The wheels, for example, are discretely rimmed with a tinted silicone to make rolling easier and prevent scuff marks.<br> <br><i>€1,300, through</i> casamania.it
<b>Upscale, not uptight</b><br> <br>Because coasters are usually the domain of uptight people who are paranoid about ring marks (even if the table is covered in glass or coated in lacquer), they tend to either look ultra-plain or purely tacky. Anthropologie’s Stone Forest Coasters, made from polished cuts of petrified wood, add a sense of upscale sophistication.<br> <br><i>$12 each, through anthropologie.com</i>
<b>Big gulp</b><br> <br>CB2’s Brite Old Fashioned tumblers are 12 ounces, so made for stress-busting doubles. But they’re also hand-painted with a soft, impressionistic palette, so even if they’re only ever filled with Evian they’ll have a nerve-calming effect.<br> <br><i>$7 each through cb2.com</i>
<b>Organization station</b><br> <br>The JZ tea trolley was designed in 1950 by Polish-Brazilian architect Jorge Zalszupin but still looks fresh and contemporary. It’s the delicate brass wheels – they give the piece a certain sparkle. The spacious bottom shelf is a great place to store decanters, shakers and tumblers. The top tray is subdivided for cheese plates, bowls of nuts and olive dishes. <br> <br><i>$9,045, through avenue-road.com</i>
<b>Garnish with care</b><br> <br>For a well-crafted cocktail, an olive at the end of a chintzy wooden toothpick won’t cut it. Crate and Barrel’s Orb skewers are undeniably more elegant. They’re made of stainless steel but brushed with copper, gold and silver finishes, and topped with clean-lined, geometric shapes reminiscent of art deco grandeur.<br> <br><i>$20, through crateandbarrel.com</i>