Our Story
The Story of C&D begins with a black-tie cocktail party...
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
during COVID…
The kind of party before the days of Instagram, TikTok, and even cell phones – ya, know – where people used to actually talk to each other and enjoy each other’s’ company, only occasionally interrupted by someone that produced a camera, and who develop the film to see the pictures.
Like the recovering hipsters we are, we listened to vinyl records, enjoyed a potluck, and provided a list of drinks for guests.
Rebecca served as the bartender using Kris’ cocktail shaker.
The shaker was a mess. The lid got stuck and leaked all over the place. Rebecca kept having to ask one of the guys to muscle the lid off just to pour drinks.
Little did we know we had just opened a Pandora's box
Unbeknownst to each other, Kris and Rebecca both went looking for a better option, only to realize that the concept of a “premium” shaker didn’t currently exist.
There were some beautiful (and pricey) vintage shakers from back in the day, but it seemed like what most people used nowadays were the same quality shaker used at the party.
A few days later, while complaining about the quality of the foreign imported shaker, Kris and Rebecca had the bright idea to make one themselves, but this time produced in America.
A harkening back to the roots of those vintage models they’d found online.
Rebecca taught herself CAD, creating C&D’s unique one-piece shaker design, while Kris cold-called forty steel fabricators around the United States.
After getting a LOT of “no,” Kris and Rebecca got one “maybe”, two “are you a Nigerian Prince?”
(I mean, it's a plausable question)
And one lukewarm “yes.”
The door was cracked and we pushed it wide open!
Our new mid-western partners in this endeavor are salt-of-the-earth humans who mostly drink beer and who certainly didn’t believe a “luxury cocktail shaker” would ever sell.
BUT, they’re an employee-owned company and back in the 60’s they used to make cocktail shakers (among other things) for the dining cars on trains. So, they were intrigued by the idea of reaching back to their roots.
They told us, “look, for the price we’ll have to charge to make this thing -- if we even CAN make it… there’s no way anybody is going to buy it. I’ve looked online and you can get a shaker for $19.99.”
We convinced them there were hipsters like us that want something made well and will last forever, and patriotic Americans like us who would want something proudly made in the USA.
They agreed to do a run of 50 and used volunteers from the company because they didn’t want to devote too much time or money.
The kicker? Their CEO wanted the first few off the line.
We agreed. The first batch arrived, sold out and six months later we were in the New York Times.
We created C&D to counter the “buy and dispose” culture that no longer puts an emphasis on the idea that it costs too much to buy cheap stuff.
We wanted to create something truly special and unique to each buyer, something that would tell a story, and most importantly something made in America with quality that could be passed down generations.
And unlike our competitors, want every C&D item to outlive its owner.
Our company is grounded in local American craftmanship, thoughtful design, and durable materials. Our products harken back to America's steel industry heritage and we hope that they'll help you bring family and friends together for memorable experiences.
From our family to yours, thank you for being a part of the C&D community.
Kris & Rebecca, Co-Founders
