1934 What Shall We Drink by Magnus Bredenbek

Chapter XIV Foods to Serve With Liquors and Wines Probably the best way to illustrate what foods should be served with liquors and wines is to cite what two of the fore most authorities in America called "the perfectformal meal." By giving course by course as each gave them to me,you may adjust yourself in course serving, from hors d'oeuvres to the final service of the cordial with desserts, arranging the wines to go with your own soups, entrees, pieces-de-resistance and so on. Let us start with the first expert's idea of the "perfect dinner." He is one of those who beheves the cocktail should open the gastronomic feast, starting with either a dry Martini or a Manhattan. With the oysters or clams on the half shell or in cocktail form, he prefers to serve no wines, holding that the wine as well as the food would be unenjoyable. With soup he suggests either Port,Sherry or Madeira,but never more than one glass to each course throughoutthe meal and then served with about half aninch ofthe glass unfilled so that the diner can "roll" the glass a bit to have the contents glaze the inside of the glass and so permit of more "bouquet" asthe alcoholic evaporation is expedited. Next, with the fish course, or terrapin, he suggests either Claret, Still Burgundy,Sauterne,Rhine Wine or MoseUe,the last three iced. With the piece de resistance, or meat course, whatever the hostess chooses to serve, the accompanying wine should be either Sparkling Burgundy or Champagne,served from pails of cracked ice. He likes to hear the popping of the corks at this course—and so doI—and so will you! With the desserts he suggests Heavy White Bordeaux, Chateau Yquem (rarest of all French vintages) or White Vouvray Anjou wine, and, after the desserts and with the 141