Vices Exclusive: Oyster Knife

No weekend in the Hamptons would be complete without oysters! Oysters and the Hamptons have gone together for a lot longer than fun-seekers have headed there for summertime bashes. The Long Island Sound’s famed oyster beds had been feeding Native Americans for centuries before Europeans arrived on these shores. Once settlers got here, they soon developed a taste for bivalves as well. By the late 1800's the Big Apple was essentially the Big Oyster - they were far and away the most popular food of the time in New York City, whether eaten in the fanciest restaurants or sold from carts the way hot dogs are hawked today.

Over-harvesting, pollution and disease delivered multiple blows to Long Island's oyster in the 20th century and into the 21st but today they're thriving once more. 

The most famous Long Island oyster is the Blue Point: large, meaty and briny, with a sweet and slightly saline aftertaste. And to enable you to enjoy the oysters even if you don’t have a shucker handy, we’re providing you with an oyster knife made specially for the Vices Escape to the Hamptons Edition. The 2.0 mm thick blade is designed to shuck with ease, and with copper rivets, a rosewood handle, and a copper head shell, it looks as good as it works.

But before you shuck, take a few tips from us! Never shuck oysters without something to protect the hand that’s holding the oyster (there are special gloves made for just such a purpose, but you can use anything from an oven mitt to a kitchen towel, whatever comes in handy). Hold the oyster flat side up, wiggle the knife in between the shells, and twist. Once you’ve parted the top and bottom half of the shell a little, slide the knife between the shells until they separate. Then grab a lemon, some horseradish, or whatever you use to dress your oyster, slurp, and enjoy. Pair your oysters with a bottle of Channing Daughters Rosé wine. Whether or not you can be in the Hamptons in person this weekend, it’ll transport you there in spirit.