1896 Fancy Drinks and Popular Beverages by the Only William

HINTS AND GENERAL REMARKS.

13

It must be borne in mind: Drinking is an art, and it requires practice to know how to drink, what to drink, and when to drink. Drinking is like eating. Who but a cannibal would not prefer hi s viands prepared in a palatable form ? That fancy cooking is not injurious, we have full proof of; we know of aged people of the past and of the present who spent a little fortune in having their di shes made to suit their taste. As good eating depends on the cook, so good drinking on the expert barkeeper. A di stinguished Eng lishman, Mr. T., one day told me: "V./e do not have much mixed drinks in our coun– try." Whereupon I asked him: "Why do your coun– trymen mix ale with porter, or Bass ale with ginger ale?" "We ll, it makes the drink more pleasant to the taste." I need ed no more answer. A man gets tired of good company, of good friends, or even of his best girl-why should we wonder at see– ing him getting tired of mixed drinks? I cannot help stating the fact that our drinking capacity is increas– ing, compared with former times. Not everybody is capable of criticising and a ppreciating a good drink, more so a mixed one. Never smoke when you want to enjoy a fine drink, nor chew; never drink anything mixed when you do not feel well. For medical pur– poses, plain drinks are preferable. When I began my business as bartender, I was only a boy and hardly able to keep up with the demands of my employer; I remembered this often enough after-