swizzle stick

English

Colorful drinks with harlequin swizzle sticks

Touillettes, or swizzle sticks intended for coffee

Alternative forms

• swizzle-stick

Etymology

1859, from swizzle (“alcoholic drink”, noun).

Noun

swizzle stick (plural swizzle sticks)

1. A small utensil, often disposable, used to mix or stir drinks, commonly iced tea or cocktails.

   The rum-based mixed drink came with a swizzle stick shaped like a pirate's sword.

   • 1897, Edward Spencer, Cakes & Ale‎^[1]:

     Churn up the mixture with a swizzle-stick, which can be easily made with the assistance of a short length of cane (the ordinary school-treat brand) a piece of cork, a bit of string, and a pocket knife.

   • 1975, “Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street)”, in Nighthawks at the Diner, performed by Tom Waits:

     And as a neon swizzle stick is stirring up the sultry night air

   • 2006, Tsitsi Dangarembga, The Book of Not, Faber & Faber Limited (2021), page 289:

     Ting, ting, ting! Tracey hit her swizzle stick against her glass.

Derived terms

• swizzle (verb)

Translations

small utensil used to mix or stir drinks

• Bulgarian: бъркалка f (bǎrkalka)
• French: touillette (fr) f