Swizzles with Sizzle

Back in the day, nearly every 'swingin' sixties' party in Eichler neighborhoods had to include certain staples: a brightly colored fondue pot, a bowl of assorted nuts with a nutcracker, and crunchy snacks like Bugles, Horns, Whistles, and Daisies.

Let's not forget the party's collection of decorative drink stirrers—called swizzle sticks—that served as a crowning touch for cocktails like the classic Tom Collins and Harvey Wallbanger. Today, so many vintage party essentials have faded from store shelves and shindigs—but guess what's making a comeback with a big stir?

Swizzle sticks.

Still cool, still colorful. They're back, baby.

The East Asian term 'shakkei' means 'borrowed scenery.' Eichlers and their atriums have always showed off that ancient design principle in spades, their lush landscapes serving as harmonious backdrops for the ambiance and décor inside.

Just as the 'shakkei' concept can enhance the beauty of any home, even the simplest of plastic or glass swizzle sticks can enhance the beauty of any bar area. They add a background of color, whimsy, happiness, and ornamentation to each and every bar and cocktail glass they touch.

What's more, swizzle sticks are creative barware that double as inspirational conversation pieces for guests; and a form of pop art, with watering hole DNA creeping and crawling on their slim stick figures.

Longtime Bay Area resident Laurel Doud, an author who now resides outside Fresno, recalls that her parents loved glass swizzle sticks. "They kept them in a highball glass on their bar in the living room," she says. "Gin martinis at 5 p.m. were a ritual in my childhood home. I saved them after my parents passed."

Who knew swizzle sticks could not only tie us to experiences, but also tie people together? Erica Orloff of Chesterfield, Virginia, had an elegant great aunt who "drank fancy drinks and always gave me her swizzle sticks, which I now treasure."

Swizzle sticks, especially during the mid-century, were also a PR executive's dream marketing tool because each stick acted as a billboard. People took them home, and used them again and again. Folks remembered the time they were at a particular bar or restaurant, and remained wistful about returning to the scene of the swizzle.