1939 Floridita Cock-tails

CONSTANTINO RIBALAIGUA The Cocktail Master

ByJACKCUDDY (Copyright 1937 by United Press.)

H AVANA, March 2.—(UP).—A gang of us were lolling I I about the National Hotel Bar Üstening to mister Joseph Hergesheimer, the very soohsticated american novehst giving off an erudite lecture about Cari Hubbel, the pitcher, picturlng him as a fine type of the rapidly dwindlmg race of true Americans, when somehow or other the general conversatlon drifted to the subject of drinking. And wthout a dissenting volee it was agreed that drinking was Cuba s National Sport. . That's where Constantino Ribalaigua cornes in. Constan tino was not a member of our party. No indeed! Constan tino Ribalaigua is the cocktail king of Cuba—champion of the Island's outstanding sport. We first learned about the king pin of Cuban drink dis- pensers from our bastender when he whispered the ñame of Ribalaigua. Then we sen't a committee of one to make a telephone cali 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 Constantino Ribalai- Ñow, since 1 am down here to observe not only the Giarit's in their warm-ups, but also to investígate the purely native sports and their premier exponents, 1 figure that it was my duty to investígate the style of thls Ribalaigua s delivery

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