“There are a hundred barspoons out there,” Tony Abou-Ganim says. “But, at the end of the day, the object is to stir a cocktail.” It was his Modern Mixologist Barspoon—available with both a twisted and smooth shank—that took the most work. Foremost in Abou-Ganim’s mind were its weight, balance and sturdiness: “I compare it to a chef’s knife that has a beautiful balance through the handle: neither top nor bottom heavy.” His spoon, therefore, is crafted from a single piece of stainless steel instead of two pieces that have been welded together. Thus, weak spots are eliminated, as well as the likelihood of breakage or rust. “It’s like when you close the door of a Mercedes versus when you close the door of a Fiat,” Abou-Ganim says. “It’s just solid.” You’ll find the Modern Mixologist Barspoon to be incredibly durable, but we think you’ll agree that in addition to function, the form is just as thoughtful. Another benefit of being made from one piece of metal is that the look is streamlined, a modern interpretation of a classic tool that is, Abou-Ganim says, “sleek and sexy.” A subtle dot at the top of the spoon in Abou-Ganim’s signature scarlet conveys quality and brings the tool into the line’s design aesthetic. And then there’s the angle, a precise 24 degrees. This is something Abou-Ganim says he picked up from his mentor, Dale “King Cocktail” DeGroff, who would take cheap barspoons and bend them. This was so that when DeGroff was stirring a cocktail, the back of the spoon would rest against the side of the mixing beaker while the spoon’s shank remained in the center for a smooth stirring motion. But rather than ask you to “bend it like Dale,” Abou-Ganim incorporated this posture into both of his barspoons. Additionally, the tip of the spoon’s bowl (which holds one level teaspoon) is blunted, again, to give the spoon full contact with the side of the mixing glass and to occasionally aid in fishing out that errant lemon pit. Says its creator: “You would miss that if it were gone!” Now, about those two styles—smooth and twisted. Wondering which style is “better” or which does Abou-Ganim prefer? “It’s a personal preference. I started my career with a twisted barspoon, I went for many years in San Francisco and Las Vegas with a rounded spoon, and now I’m back to twisted as my preference.” As for which design is more popular, Abou-Ganim says, “I maybe sell a few more twisted, but it’s actually pretty even.” Other products in the Modern Mixologist Brand can be found here. Materials: Stainless steel Dimensions: 12" x 1"
