1911 Beverages de luxe

BY

JY^ixed Drinks and

WUPPERMANN W. Wuppermann New York City

A. E.

of J.

Their Ingrédients

In considering tlie subject of mixed drinks, it may not be ont of j)lace to dwell brieliy upon their history, as v\ell as upon tlie reasons for their exist- ence and their continued popularity. Since time immémorial, men have sought to lend an added relish to food through seasoning. that is, through

the addition of flavorings of a spicy, aromatic, or piquant, na- ture. It vas natural, therefore, that the same methods should have been applied in tlie matter of beverages, as is witnessed by the highly-flavored punches and other brews of our forefathers. A distinction should be dra\yn, however, betveen those mixed drinks v\iiich are devised purely as thirst quenchers and Tvhich should be classifîed under the heading of beverages, and those which are commonly known as appetizers. Among the former are included such drinks as shandy-gaff and the varions toddies, rickeys, punches, cobblers, juleps, etc. To some of thèse beverages it has been songht to communicate a food value, aside froin that of the stimulant, as in the case of sherry-nip, egg-nogg, milk-punch, etc., foods having been introduced because of their value as such, rather than because of any flavor which they might Impart. But there is another class of mixed drinks not less impor- tant nor less popular than the thirst-quenchers or beverages just named. This class is popularly known under the name of api)etizers, in which are comprised ail of the cocktails and other mixed drinks that are designed particularly to increase the de- sire for food, that is, to promote the appetite and stimulate the activity of the digestive organs. In medicine, the therapentic value of simple or aromatic bitters has long been recognized. The introduction of a bitter élément, highly aromatic in its nature, was due to this vddely accepted principle among médical men as well as the laity as to the value of aromatic bitters administered in its most delight- ful form, viz., the cocktail. The bitters act upon the saliva glands as Avell as upon the sécrétions of the stornach, stimulating both to a greater degree of activity, their effect being augmented by the aromatics, in- cluding the alcohol. The French have long recognized the value