1931 Old Waldorf Bar Days by Albert Stevens Crockett

Old Waldorf Bar Days assistance, carried them himself over to the Men's Cafe, and passed the tray. Yeats eyed the novel pink drink warily. At first, he was for waving it away, but yielding to persuasion and, possibly influenced by the appeal in anxious Kennedy's · eyes, he took one. Kennedy stood back to await results. Yeats, glancing about, noted in surprise that his table companions han– dled the concoction in what seemed to him a precipitous and summary fashion. All they did was to lift their glasses, open their mouths, crook the elbow and then set down an empty·glass. YEATS ON COCKTAILS This was not a poet's way. Yeats tasted the cocktail, and smacked his-lips. Another taste. His eye gleamed and his face lighted up. But, to the surprise of his hosts, he declined to gulp. This thing must be taken slowly. It was filled with a variety of flavors, and it must be tasted all the way down to the bottom of the glass. So he just sat and sipped that Clover Club Cocktail. When wine was brought and proffered him, he waved it away. "Another of th~ same," ~e said, in effect, and he kept sipping Clover Club Cocktails all the way through the meal. And the delighted Kennedy felt it was a great day for Ireland. * * * * During most of its history, the Bar opened at six o'clock and closed at any time the next morning, though one A. M. was official closing time. Sixteen bartenders were employed, and often ten of them were on duty [74]