1954 King Cocktail Shake Again with Eddie

TACK/NC COCKTAiCS

I WAS indeed fortunate in my travels, for it allowed me to collect recipes from all over the world, and I submit quite a few for your interest and delectation, together with many old favourites which have withstood the test of time and are today just as popular as ever. Probably, you have wondered many times who invented the first cocktail—I have also, because no one really knows—but I give you a possible story. It comes from Mexico, where once upon a time there lived a King, wise in the knowledge of wine and men. From a far- off land one day there came to the Palace, not the fairy-book Prince, but an American General, on a military mission. It seemed quite likely that it was touch and go that the military cannon would open up. The wise old King decided on a second front and called for his own special blend of local brew, which was indeed a very potent mixture. But that was not all. Remember, the King also knew all about men, especially visiting American Generals, so what better trump card could he play than have his beautiful daughter Coctel to serve the drinks. Needless to say, from then on the discussions progressed more smoothly and the General departed to leave the King, daughter and subjects to live happily ever after. The story had a sequence, because some long time after the General returned to his native land and he never forgot that pleasant interlude in Mexico—probably he talked in his sleep and excused himself by claiming that it was the name of the drink he had carelessly uttered. Anyhow, it could in later years develop from Coctel into Cocktail. That is the end of the story. Many ill-informed people think that the mixing of present- day cocktails is only a matter of placing some ice in a shaker and pouring in any available ingredients which happen to be at hand. Then after accomplishing various acrobatic antics with the shaker, the devilish brew is served to some unsuspect ing guest. How wrong these unfortunate people are! Cock-