1934 What Shall We Drink by Magnus Bredenbek

Cocktails ^ variations of the standard drinks, such as you might make yourself, and to which you might give names of your own choice. It is obvious that the cocktail, through its dilution with other ingredients of little or no alcohoHc content, is less in jurious to the tender membranes of the body than drinks of straight whiskey, gin, brandy, rum or applejack. Even the distillers will tell you this fact. They do not want men and women to be hurt by their products, for longer Uves mean greater sales, and steadier demand. There are times, of course, when straight drinks are good for the system—in sickness,for instance. Distillers actually cooperate with pro ducers of other beverages which may be mixed with their products, to promote temperate drinking. I say this, with full knowledge that bigoted objectors will scoff and attack the assertion. Saloons and hotels, for profit-making purposes, usually make cocktails seldom exceeding two ounces, or haljthe size of those I recommend. Years ago the 2-ounce was deemed a "Ladies' Drink." I prefer a 3-ounce, but the advantage of the 4-ounce is that one satisfies thirst. The 2-ounce is so short that a second bother of mixing is needlessly incurred. As to individual taste, drinking cocktails, as in drinking any other beverage, should not be made unpleasant by too strict adherence to arbitrary formulas. If your guest prefers, say, a stronger proportion of Rye in his Manhattan and less of Vermouth,or more of Vermouth and less of Rye,or wishes weaker or stronger variations made in other drinks, by all means satisfy him—or her. For your guest, after all, is the one to please, rather than yourself.