A swizzle stick is a small stick used to stir drinks. The original swizzle sticks were created in the 18th century at a

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

plantation in the West Indies using the

branch A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term ''twig'' usually ...

of the ''

Quararibea turbinata ''Quararibea turbinata'', also known as the swizzlestick tree, is an aromatic plant native to such Caribbean locales as Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, St. K ...

'' (also known as the "Swizzle stick tree"). In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, stir sticks made of glass were created to shake out the bubbles from

champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

, whose carbonation caused indigestion for some drinkers. Swizzle sticks became particularly ornate with the advent of themed establishments such as the

tiki bar A tiki bar is a themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails. Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their tiki culture décor which is based upon a roman ...

and are sometimes kept as a souvenir or collected.

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* * {{Bartend Products introduced in 1933 Bartending equipment Caribbean culture Cocktail garnishes Rums

See also

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