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Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review – November 2015

Lindsey Morse
ByLindsey MorseDec 5, 2015 | 2 comments

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Box

Shaker & Spoon
4 overall rating
3 Ratings | 1 Reviews

Shaker & Spoon is a monthly subscription box that sends you everything you need (except the alcohol) to create bar-worthy cocktails at home.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Inside

Each box focuses on a particular spirit and includes step-by-step original recipes and specialty ingredients. 

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Opening

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 also 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.

This box was sent to me at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Contents

 The Subscription: Shaker & Spoon

The Cost: $40 per month or $110 for 3 months

The Products: All of the ingredients (other than the alcohol) to make 12 cocktails from 3 different recipes. 

Ships to: US

Looking for other boozy boxes? Check out the Drink Subscription Box Directory!

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Flyer

Each Shaker & Spoon box is created to showcase a different type of liquor. This is the “Amber Rum Box.”

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Glossary

Here’s a glossary of common bartending terms.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Graphic

And a graphic representation of the box’s ingredients. I love this- it’s almost frame worthy!

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Citrus

 The box contained four limes and three lemons.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Syrups

There were two small containers of syrup: Cinnamon Syrup and Hibiscus Syrup.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Bitters

The was also a smaller bottle of Black Pepper Ginger Syrup and two smaller dropper bottles containing Orange Bitters and Angostura Bitters.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Lime

Mint, kaffir lime leaves, and grapefruit peels were vacuum sealed in plastic.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Grapefruit

Shaker & Spoon recommends transferring all of the ingredients to the fridge as soon as they arrive.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Mint

The grapefruit and lime leaves arrived in good shape, but the mint didn’t look too great. I suspect it got a little crushed during the vacuum-sealing process.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Ginger

The final specialty ingredient in this box was Barritt’s Ginger Beer. 

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - Recipes

Shaker & Spoon includes three cocktail recipes with each shipment. This month’s recipes are: Rum Old Fashioned, Rum Buck, and Rum Smash.

I was immediately intrigued by the Black Pepper Ginger Syrup, so I decided to make a Rum Old Fashioned.

Rum Old Fashioned

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - OldFashionedRecipe

I love Old Fashioned cocktails, so I was excited to try this twist on the classic recipe.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - OldFashionedIngredients

I began by collecting my ingredients and assembling the tools I’d need.

 Then, I combined rum, Black Pepper Ginger Syrup, Angostura Bitters, and Orange Bitters in a tall glass. I stirred them with ice, strained the mixture into a couple of rocks glasses with ice, and garnished each drink with a grapefruit swath.

Shaker & Spoon Subscription Box Review November 2015 - OldFashioned

I was VERY impressed with this drink. The balance of flavors was fantastic, and I really enjoyed how the recipe put a fun twist on one of my favorite classic cocktails.

The Verdict: I love experimenting with new cocktails and mixing up drinks at home, so I was excited to try Shaker & Spoon. It’s very handy that they include mixers, citrus, and garnishes in the box, and it’s fun to see that their recipes feature exciting and exotic flavor combinations. I’m impressed with the packaging, too. I like the small bottles of syrups and bitters and most of my other ingredients arrived in great shape. The only exception to this was the mint, so I’m not sure vacuum sealing is the best way to send fresh herbs. Perhaps it would be better to pack them in an envelope or a bit of bubble wrap? Value-wise, I think it’s important to point out that this box is all about curation. The actual cost of the ingredients is likely fairly low (under $20, if I had to estimate), but the creative recipes and inventive syrup flavors help turn this box into something special. When thinking about value, it’s also important to note that there’s the additional cost of alcohol to consider. As someone with a pretty well-stocked bar, I don’t mind that the boxes don’t contain alcohol, but it could get pricey if you had to buy a bottle of alcohol every month in order to make the cocktails. (Of course, the lack of alcohol in the box also means that it can be shipped nationwide!) Most importantly for a cocktail box, the cocktail I made with this month’s ingredients was fantastic. I’m going to make another Rum Old Fashioned again soon, and I can’t wait to try the Rum Buck and the Rum Smash, also!

What do you think of Shaker & Spoon? Will you be giving it a try?

Starting at $59.00
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Every month you'll get a box with 3 unique, original recipes by top bartenders for 12 drinks (4 from each recipe) and everything you need to make them—syrups, bitters, garnishes, aromatics, and more—besides the alcohol. You'll be exposed to new flavors and combinations, inspiring you to see your ... read more.

Lindsey Morse
Lindsey Morse

Lindsey is a professional baker, cold brew coffee addict, and rosé aficionado who loves writing about food and wine. When she’s not sharing her love of subscription boxes with the world, you’ll find her in the podcasting studio, perfecting her cake decorating techniques, or cursing her way through the New York Times daily crossword puzzle. 


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2 comments

Tia

I think you did a great job reviewing this box. The box seems really put together but the cost is too high in my opinion. I get this is about finding new recipes but I can do that on Pinterest, go to the store and buy the ingredients (including alcohol) for less or same price a month. I don’t see this as building my bar but rather the idea of a bar if that makes sense. Maybe they should start to include an item you’d use in your bar; strainer, bottle opener, grinder, cups, etc to make it worth the $40/month.

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Katie

Great Review! If I drank you’d have me sold on this:)

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