Raising the bar

THERE has long been a link between artistry and inebriation. From the bejeweled biblical chalice to the Champagne coupe that was, according to legend, modeled on the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breast, drinking vessels were created as much to delight the eye as they were to contain the finest vintages.

The birth of the cocktail -- devised to mellow the rotgut taste of Prohibition-era bathtub gin -- brought the first round of the design niche now known as barware. Many examples of that Art Deco style, particularly chrome cocktail shakers, are now prized Jazz Age collectibles.

But when it comes to putting on the dog -- or, for that matter, stirring up the hair of the one that bit you -- nothing exceeds the style of the lush life as practiced by the mid-century movie colony set.

Today, fine bar accessories from that Hollywood Regency period -- including a polished aluminum ice bucket in the style of Tommi Parzinger -- mix easily with contemporary counterparts such as the sleek, silver-plated pitchers and trays by Armani Casa and Restoration Hardware.

Similarly, the classic glassware by Los Angeles designer Dorothy Thorpe, notable for its wide band of sterling, keeps elegant company with Christofle’s towering lead crystal decanter, martini glasses with dragon designs from Zipper of Los Angeles and the rustic beauty of a faux staghorn wine holder.

Pulling out the stoppers for the evening? A vintage cocktail trolley reminiscent of those by Gio Ponti (or the handsome, chrome-plated three-tier Empire Bar Cart, $1,295, available at Restoration Hardware) brings together all your best pieces. Offering sofa-side service, it’s the only way to fly for the retro-loving upwardly mobile.