I remember watching old movies as a kid and being intrigued by the way some impossibly suave person –Cary Grant, Ray Miland or someone like that– glided over to his home bar and poured a drink from a glittering bottle of amber liquid –removing the stopper, pouring just a splash, replacing the stopper. It seemed like such an elegant little ritual. The drink looked delicious too, although, of course, I had no idea what it might taste like.
Turns out, it tastes really good. It wasn’t until very recently, though, that I rediscovered the elegant little ritual to go with it. Inspired by my friend Marta’s beautiful collection of antique decanters, I bought this one to keep in Southampton. I keep it filled with cognac and bring it out after dinner, usually to the living room as people gather around the fire. Its style is a little more ornate than most of our things, but I like the way the facets catch the light, and I use a simple tray and glasses to keep things feeling casual.
The decanter shown above is from William Yeoward, an English manufacturer that reproduces 18th and 19th century designs (www.williamyeowardcrystal.com). Neiman Marcus has a particularly nice selection of fine crystal decanters from William Yeoward and other makers available online at www.neimanmarcus.com.
I think these decanters are very handsome too, and they can help you with your suave decanter moment at a more accessible prices:
The Owen Decanter, available for $36.95 at www.crateandbarrel.com;
The Kai Decanter, available for $39.95 at www.crateandbarrel.com;
Handblown Decanter available for $85.00 at www.gumps.com.
