You do't have to use a carton, it just allows for a clean ending where you tear it up. For Harlan's and Steinmeyer's you can use a tea kettle instead of a flask or carton. I need to look at the Wakeling one, I don't think you can use a kettle with it.
Wakeling's uses a martini shaker and a bar stand. Both are integral to the effect. Wakeling's has a good presentation in that it is a bar routine rather than an any drink called for routine. Unfortunately, a lot of the drinks are dated. Hospitality has a downside in that you don't pass out all of the drinks - but that could be worked around. Nonetheless, I like the presentation and the justification for the props. The Accomadating Teakettle has an easy-to-make-at-home design and has a nice ending pouring a hot cup of coffee (you could do chocolate milk if you wanted instead of coffee). That one also has a great story patter that is used as the basis for pouring different drinks (similar to hospitality). Dan's drinks are really good (I haven't tried all of them) and I like his handling and his pesentation of the effect. I've also found other drinks that you can do both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
As I said, my routine will be a combination. Instead of Wakeling's shaker and bar, I'll use an old china teapot as the Accomadating Tea Kettle and a tray with a variety of glasses. The drinks will be a combination of Dan's and my own. The presentation woud be about what would happen when her friends would come over to play cards with the final drink being a cup of hot tea -- just in case anyone's husband showed up and asked what was in the teapot. I'm still playing with whether it is like Wakeman's bar routine and Steinmeyer's routines (a variety of drinks are poured based on the magician's choice or the story), like "think a drink" from Think-A-Drink Hoffman and Steve Cohen, or "any drink called for" -- where someone names a drink and you pour it or like Dan's "any drink I want." I suspect it will be a combination of the various presentations.