The Blue Moon and Doric Cocktail Sets
1935 – 1941
Blue Moon Cocktail set, with shaker, cups and Ring Tray. From the collection of the author.
The Blue Moon and Doric Cocktail Shaker are some of the most desirable shakers for collectors of Chase or cocktail enthusiasts. These shakers and sets are not easy to find and do not show up at antique malls or flea markets often. It is online or at higher end antique shows where one will come across them.
Howard Reichenbach’s patent for the Chase Blue Moon Cocktail Shaker. Image from Google Patents.
Like the Chase Gaiety Cocktail shaker, the Blue Moon Cocktail Shaker is another Howard F. Reichenbach (American, 1902 – 1959) design. Hitting stores in late 1935, the shaker shows how much the streamline esthetic started to influence design by mid-decade. This is emphasized by the rows of speedlines at the shaker’s base and around the cap. The two steps of the cap culminated in a blue ball stopper. Very early models of the shaker had a blue glass stopper. Shortly, a blue Catalin stopper replaced the glass one. These two original stoppers also doubled as a jigger for making mixed drinks.
Detail: Blue Moon Cocktail Shaker Catalin stopper / jigger. Image from cocktailshakers.com.
With an original price of $4.00 ($85.25 in 2022) the Blue Moon shaker would have been in the higher price range for many consumers. This might explain the relative rarity of the shaker today. Before the end of 1935 Reichenbach’s shaker was paired with Harry Laylon’s (American, 1911 – 1997) Blue Moon Cocktail Cups.
Harry Laylon’s Blue Moon Cocktail Cups for Chase. From the collection of the author.
Detail of Chase’s Centaur logo on the bottom of the Blue Moon cocktail cup. From the collection of the author.
These cocktail cups are classic Art Deco. The cobalt glass cup tops a polished chrome, conical base and the combination is striking. These cocktail cups are among the most popular collectible of the Chase specialty line. Originally selling for $0.50 in the 1930s (equivalent to $10.66 in 2022) the reasonable price might explain why they are easily found at flea markets and antique stores today.
On one of his many thrift store outings, Chris found a bag of them at his local GoodWill. Six in all, he only paid a few dollars.
Completing the Blue Moon set was Laylon’s Ring Tray.
Chase Ring Tray, 1936 -1942, designed by Harry Laylon. From the collection of the author.
This tray is not all that easy to find. And it is especially hard to find one that does not have a fair amount of surface scratching. Originally selling for $2.50 ($53.29 in 2022) this versatile tray it was used with the Comet Coffee service and with a glass insert and the jam jar.
Late 1930s Chase magazine advertisement featuring the Doric Cocktail set in the upper left corner. Image from ebay.com.
Sometime in late 1936 or early 1937 the Blue Moon set became the Doric Cocktail set. A ribbed, plastic stopper replaced the ball one. New cups were designed for the set and the color white was offered along with blue on the stopper and cup bases. By the late 1930s the price of the shaker had risen to $5.00 ($105.06 in 2022) and the new cups were selling for $0.75 each ($15.76 in 2022). And the entire set sold for a hefty $12.50 ($262.66 in 2022).
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- Chase Doric Cocktail Shaker and Cup in white. Image from worthpoint.com.
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- Stopper and lid detail, showing the inside strainer on the shaker’s lid. Image from worthpoint.com
These new cocktail cups match the Doric Shaker very well. Encircling the bottom of the chrome up are the same style speed lines that are on the shaker. And the plastic bases have ribbing that matches the shaker stopper.
Chase Doric Cocktail Cups with blue plastic base. From the collection of the author.
At the beginning of this post, I said this is a hard to find set. And when you do find one, expect to pay a good deal for it. And whether it’s a Blue Moon or Doric set in white or blue, it doesn’t seem to affect the price on the collector’s market.
Complete Doric Cocktail set in blue. Image from ebay.com.
The price of complete sets in good to excellent condition seem to fall in the $250.00 – $700.00 range. But I’ve seen some for sale that go much higher. One set, currently for sale online is asking $1,280.00. But it is in never-used, mint condition and with its original boxes. The shaker alone usually falls in the $75.00 – $400.00 price range. The prices for the Blue Moon cocktail cups are all over the place and they usually sell anywhere from $10.00 to $25.00 or $30.00 a cup. At the publishing time of this post, no Doric Cups are available on their own, only as part of a complete set or with a shaker. Within the last year I purchased a set of four for $40.00, but I realize now that is an unusual find.
A white Chase Doric Cocktail Set. Image from vintageswank.com.
Driving for Deco will continue with more Chase drinking and cocktail accessories in a future blogpost.
Happy Hunting,
Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen’ Guys)
SOURCES
The Complete Chase – Donald-Brian Johnson & Leslie Piña
The Chase Era 1933 and 1942 Catalogs of the Chase Brass & Copper Co. – Donald-Brian Johnson & Leslie Piña
Chase Catalogs 1934 and 1935 Catalogs – Donald-Brian Johnson & Leslie Piña
Art Deco Chrome Book 2: A Collector’s Guide Industrial Design in the Chase Era – Richard J. Kilbride
