1891 Cocktail Botthby's American Bar-Tender

371. ~~(

Many absinthe drinkers of late have become possessed of a novel and scientific notion through the publication of a series of articles, which have appeared in a certain m~ical journal, claiming that, before drinking absinthe in any form, great pains should be taken to carefully pour off the top of the liquid or allow it to flow off while dripping, so that the thin scum which always floats to the top of absinthe will not be partaken of. This is said to be the only deleterious property of absinthe; and should a small quantity of this floating substance be placed in contact with any abrasion of the cuticle, serious inflammation would be the consequence, proving beyond a doubt its poisonous nature. Another new wrinkle with absinthe drinkers is termed an Egg Suicesse. It is highly spoken of as a morning eye-opener, and is made the same as an ordinary Suicesse, with the white of an egg well shaken with the absinthe, orgeat and ice. When the syphon is turned onto this drink, a thick foam immediately collects on top of the beverage. The mouth of the syphon should then be placed below the rim of the glass and tnmed on again, which will cause this head to raise high above the liquid (ala Mountaineer) if the mixture is well frozen and the syphon cold. The poison spoken of in the preceding suggestion is said to adhere to the frozen egg, thereby obviating the necessity of pouring off the surface of the drink, as the beverage itself can be partaken of without quaffing the unhealthy foam. In. maki:n.g a cocktail of any liquor, always strive to serve the beverage as cold as possible. Some bartenders freeze the glass in which the drink is to be served by filling it with fine ice before commencing to mix the drink. As soon as the cocktail is prepared, they throw the fine ice out of the serving gliiSS and immediately strain the beverage from the mixer into the now frozen glass. This is a very nice and tasty way to do, but of course all this extra labor requires time, and is therefore impracticable during a rush of business. Never try to make fancy cocktails without a special order, as they should be as plain as possible for the average lover of this popular beverage. Do not serve a frosted glass to a gentleman who wears a mustache, as the sugar adheres to that appendage and causes great inconvenience. The idea of making any liquor into a cocktail was conceived only for the purpose of removing the sharp, raw taste peculiar to all plain liquors_; there– fore it is not necessary to ~e a combination of cordials, essences, abswthe or lime juice as some 11 bar-creatures" do · but by adhering strictly to the herein contained directions you will be enabled to serve these famous American decoc– tions in as fine style as the highest salaried mixologist in the land.