Shaker & Spoon is a monthly subscription box that sends you everything you need (except the alcohol) to create bar-worthy cocktails at home. Each box has a theme and has recipes based on one or two alcohols.
You can skip boxes at any time, so there’s no need to worry if you don’t like a particular spirit. (If you don’t like gin, for example, you can skip boxes that feature it.)
Shaker & Spoon strives to make all of their boxes naturally vegan. If a box is not vegan, it is their policy to explicitly mention it when the box is announced.
Because the boxes contain perishable produce, Shaker & Spoon send their boxes via USPS 2-day priority.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Shaker & Spoon
The Cost: $50 per month + $5 shipping (Discounts available with longer subscription commitments)
COUPON: Save 15% off your first box with coupon code MSA15 (1 & 3-month subscriptions only)
The Products: All of the ingredients (except the alcohol) to make 12 cocktails from 3 different recipes.
Ships to: US
Check out all of our Shaker & Spoon Reviews and find more cocktail boxes in the Drink Subscription Box Directory!
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They include a glossary card for those of us who are cocktail novices. Each term or tool used in the recipes are explained here.
You'll also find a card that has the theme- this month it's "Austin Without Limits"- as well as a complete list of what you should have in your box! Each cocktail was created by a bartender working in Austin and harnesses the feel of their legendary live music and bar scene. This month you can use your choice of aged tequila or bourbon. I steer clear of bourbon, so I opted to use tequila.
The Beat Goes On by Jessica Sanders
- Aged Tequila
- Spiced Mojo Syrup
- Orange Bitters
- Bitters
- Star of Anise Pod
- Lemon Zest
The recipe for this cocktail was pretty easy to make but included the most ingredients (including two different bitters). This was also the only one of the three that wasn't mixed in a shaker, but only stirred. Everything went into a mixing glass, then poured over ice and topped with the beautiful garnish of a star of anise pod and some lemon zest.
The Beat Goes On is a bit smoky due to the spiced mojo syrup and a little sweet from the orange bitters. It seemed to taste the stiffest of this month's drinks as well.
The light yellow color reminds me of tea which is perfect since this can easily be turned into a hot toddy for the cold winter months ahead of us. What's better than a hot nightcap on a cold Fall or Winter night?
Ma Sour by Caer Ferguson
- Raw Egg White
- Fat-Washed Tequila
- Pecan-Cinnamon Orgeat
- Lemon Juice
- Cinnamon Stick
This one was a doozy to make. I'd call it a more advanced recipe since it entails you to fat-wash your alcohol (a term I didn't know until now). To do so, you melt salted butter in a pan, add your choice of alcohol (in this case I used tequila) and then freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes. Once you take it out of the freezer, you then strain out the solidified butter with a cheesecloth or fine strainer. Now you have the fat-washed alcohol you'll need to create this cocktail. You will also need a raw egg white which wasn't included in the box because of its delicate and perishable nature. I added all of the liquid ingredients to a shaker to "dry mix" (without ice), then double-strained it into a glass with ice. I then lit the end of a cinnamon stick and let the smoke permeate into the glass, and then placed it in.
I am not cocktail-savvy enough to own a coupe glass, so I used a flute instead for variety. Since a coupe glass is much more shallow, the drink didn't quite fill the flute but held the cinnamon stick nicely.
Andy said that this cocktail "tastes like fall", and I have to agree. It must be the pecan-cinnamon orgeat and the cinnamon stick that does it!
Huarache Nights by Chris Bostick
- Aged Tequila
- Ginger Grenadine Syrup
- Lime Juice
- Soda Water
- Lime Zest
This was the simplest cocktail to make and only required a shaker and a little bit of zesting. All I had to do was add all of the ingredients (except that bubbly soda water) to the shaker to mix and chill, then add the soda water and lime zest to the glass.
This was probably my favorite drink of the three. It's also quite pretty with its pink hue and green lime zest accent.
The ingredient that gives this cocktail its color happens to be ginger grenadine, aka two of my favorite flavors for spirits.
Verdict: Shaker & Spoon served up three new-to-me cocktails with different difficulty levels. For $55, you receive ingredients to make four of each of the three cocktail recipes provided, but still need to have the alcohol, eggs, and butter on hand. This subscription is definitely for someone who wants to try their hand at being mixologist more than someone looking to save money and drink at home. It was fun for me to learn new techniques and try ingredients I wouldn't normally know how to incorporate, all while tasting a little bit of Texas.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Unfortunately, no. You must order by the 1st to get the following month's box. If you subscribe today your first box wouldn't be until December.
Coupon – Save 15% off your first box with coupon code MSA15 (1 & 3-month subscriptions only)
Value Breakdown: At $55 for this box, you're paying about $4.50 per cocktail (not including the price of the alcohol, eggs, or butter needed).
Have you tried any of the cocktails from this month's Shaker & Spoon?
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