Ah, drinking. There were plenty of devices and gadgets designed to help you sip and savor beer, wine, and cocktails at the 2017 International Home and Housewares Show. Some of them, such as the PicoBrew, for homebrewing beer, and the Alchema, which lets you make cider in your kitchen, we’ve seen before. Other, such as the Bibo Barmaid — a Keurig for cocktails — were new to us.
Check out our roundup of drinking devices below.
CorkOut ($30)
I’ll never forget the first time I opened a bottle of wine, because I managed to destroy the cork and have floaties in every glass I poured. This is a common problem, especially among older wines, and the CorkOut is the solution. It’s a simple device that works like a mini ladle to scoop out either the entire thing or errant pieces of cork. It comes with a L’essentiel corkscrew to provide leverage if the whole cork gets pushed inside.
Buy Now ($10)
If you regularly drink fine wine, you’re probably acquainted with Private Preserve. Oxygen is its enemy. Even if you put the cork back in the bottle, there will be some air you’ve already let in. Private Preserve — a mix of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon — replaces the air, reducing the amount of oxygen reaching the wine. The gas slows the aging process for other liquids, too, including scotch, bourbon, tequila, and even cooking oil.
Buy Now ($399)
With its high price tag, Le Nez Du Whisky — and its wine, coffee, and brandy kits — is aimed at budding professionals. The collection of 54 aromas, with scents such as tobacco leaf, hay, and blackcurrant bud, helps train your nose to recognize scents commonly found in whisky. If you take a whiff of your favorite single malt, you may recognize the scent but be unable to place or describe it. That’s what this kit is for: Helping you pinpoint aromas and learn more about fermentation, distillation, and other aspects of the whisky-making process.
Aura Glass ($50)
It’s always nice to see a Kickstarter project in the flesh, so to speak. The Aura Glass has a stainless steel ball built into the bottom that lets the cup spin like a top without spilling a drop. The glass sits at an angle, and you can twirl it around, while the ball anchors it to the table. Fifty bucks for a set of two glass is a bit pricey, but they just may save you from having to get red wine out of the carpet.
