Swizzle sticks are small spear-like sticks with flat paddle-shaped handles, placed in cocktails to hold fruit, or merely to stir the drink. They were invented by Jay Sindler in 1933, shortly after prohibition ended. Sindler, an engineer, was trying to get the olive out of his martini without using his fingers. Sindler was granted a patent on the swizzle stick, in 1935 and started a company, Spir-it, to sell them.
Organizations often customize the paddles of swizzle sticks with corporate logos or other designs, making swizzle sticks popular with collectors.
Plastic swizzle sticks composed of two very thin tubes joined together are often used as a disposable means of stirring coffee.
Swizzle sticks are similar to cocktail umbrellas.
Swizzle sticks are often used in the board game Trivial Persuit. Swizzle sticks are often used in the board game Trivial Pursuit.