Born from a Party, Built to Last a Lifetime: American-made barware
The Cocktail Shaker That Changed Everything
It’s funny how a small frustration can spark a whole movement. For us, it was a simple cocktail shaker, a party essential that simply wouldn’t work at the worst moment.
Picture this: It’s the early days of the pandemic, and we’re both stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Congo. Desperate for some social interaction, we threw a speakeasy-style cocktail party.
But our barware? A total disaster. Stuck shakers. Awkward moments. It was clear: finding high-quality, American-made barware was near impossible.
We didn’t just shrug and move on. No, we got stubborn.
If the tools we wanted didn’t exist, we’d make them ourselves. Thus, C&D Tools was born, with one goal in mind: creating exceptional barware that’s proudly made in the USA, using American steel and craftsmanship.
What started as a pandemic project quickly grew into something much more—a commitment to bring quality and integrity back to everyday tools.
Overcoming Challenges of American-made barware
We had no idea what we were getting into.
With zero engineering background, we taught ourselves CAD design through YouTube videos (yes, really). Then came the hard part: finding manufacturers willing to produce our products in the U.S.
Let’s just say the odds weren’t in our favor.
After cold-calling over 40 companies and hearing “no” more times than we’d like to admit, we finally found a partner. And not just any partner—a company that had been making stainless steel products since the 1950s.
Their history in making dining car shakers for trains made them the perfect fit. They were just as excited as we were to bring this lost craft back to life. It wasn’t easy, though. There were hurdles...cracked shakers, manufacturing mishaps, but we persisted.
Eventually, we had our first batch of 50 shakers, and boy, did they sell out fast.
From Congo to the New York Times
We never expected our story to take off like it did.
After creating our first products, we reached out directly to Florence Fabricant at The New York Times—just shot her an email with our pitch.
To our surprise, she responded within hours and ran a piece on us in the Home and Garden section. We sold out within days and were off to the races.
That moment was a turning point.
We realized that people were hungry for high-quality, American-made barware.
From there, we expanded our product line to include strainers, jiggers, bar spoons, and even a paring knife (which we developed in collaboration with a Navy SEAL-owned company).
Our vision for C&D Tools doesn’t stop at barware. We’re working on expanding into grill tools—think tongs, spatulas, and more, all made with the same attention to detail and quality that goes into our shakers.
Why? Because we believe that every part of your home experience, whether at the bar or the grill, deserves tools that are built to last.
Made in America: More Than Just a Label
"American-made barware" isn't just a sales gimmick we use to appeal to our customer base. To us, it's about quality, ethics, and sustainability.
We’ve seen firsthand the impact of foreign companies exploiting resources and labor, particularly in Africa.
Kris’s father lost his job when American textile factories moved overseas, and Rebecca’s grandfather lost his pension when Bethlehem Steel went under.
The decline of American manufacturing doesn’t just affect the economy; it impacts our national resilience and these personal experiences drive us to support American industry and bring manufacturing back home.
Our mission is to break that cycle by sourcing and manufacturing right here in the U.S., where we know the labor laws are fair, and the materials are top-notch. By producing in the U.S., we’re not only creating jobs, but we’re also contributing to our country’s long-term security.
From a Simple Party to a Lasting Legacy
Our journey started with a stuck cocktail shaker, but it’s grown into something much bigger. We’re not just making tools; we’re building a brand that stands for quality, sustainability, and American craftsmanship. It hasn’t been easy, but we believe in what we’re doing, and we’re proud of how far we’ve come.
Want to hear more about how we got here? Listen to the full episode of The Manufacturing Report here .