1939 Bar La Florida Cocktails

CONSTANTINO RIBALAIGUA

The Cocktail Master

By JACK CUDDY

{Copyright 1937 by Unitcd Press.)

IAVANA, March 2.—(UP).— A gang of us were lolling about the National Hotel Bar listening to mister Joseph Hergesheimer,the very sophsticated american novelist giving off an erudite lecture about Cari Hubbell, the Giant's pitcher, picturing him as a fine type of the rapidly dwindling race of thrue americans, when somehow or other the general conversation drifted to the' subject of drinking. And without a dissenting voice it was agreed that drinking was Cuba's National Sport. That's where Constantino Ribalaigua comes in. Cons tantino was (caps) not (uncaps) a member of our party. No indeed! Constantino Ribalaigua is the cocktail king of Cuba —champion of the Island's outstanding sport. ■We first learned about the king pin of Cuban drink dispensers from our bartender when he whispered the ñame of Ribalaigua. Then we sen't a committee of one to make a telephone poli of Sloppy Joe's, the Plaza, the Sevilla, and Prado 86. He returned and said the bartender was right. The vote was unanimously in favor of Cons tantino Ribalaigua. Now, since 1 am down here to observe not only the Giants in their warm-ups, but also to investigate the pu- rely native sports and their premier exponents, I figure that it was my duty to investigate the style of this - 9 -