Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-09-09
WHAT WE DRINK.
SECRETS OF THE LIQUOR TRACE.

barkeeper Of one of the leading centen.
NAL hotels had just turned up behind
bis bar, fresh and bright and rosy, and
evidently we'll fortified against his COM
ing labors. In his snowy bosom was q
diamond cluster pin, somewhat smaller
than saucer, but SO brilliant as almost
to dazzle the eye, and on one of his fin
gers glistened huge seal ring, which
would have served admirably for LADY,
breastpin. His moustache, of blush
black. suggestive of recent tonsonial
operations, was twisted at the ends a
la Napoleon, and his dark hair clustered
around his head in dark curls.
Brandy smash, SIR" and the deft
hands began to shovel ice into a glass
and soon were engaged in crushing the
fragrant mint preparatory to complet-
ing the beverage.
"From the South, I reckon ?" said
the barkeeper, as the writer sat down
bis empty glass.
"Why do you ask that question ?" re.
turned the reporter, Yankee-like.
because you drink brandy smash
very popular drink South.
Here was just the chance the repor-
ter wanted, and for half all hour or
more he drank in the wisdom of The ar
tist in spirits. treasuring up each shred
of knowledge relisiously,
"Well, you see, sir, bar-keepers can
generally fix the nationality of visitor
by his drinks. Most all Americans that
drink at all go for gin or whisky cock
tell in the morning. A French drinker
either takes claret and ice, or, if he is
anyways hard on it, some cognac or
Absinthe. A dutchman or q Prussian
wants beer. Turks-w have 'em here
off and on-do their drinking on the
sly. They like champagne and put
themselves outside of it without wink
ing. Cinnamon don't do much bar
drinking, but lately the stewart tells
me, some of them have taken to strength
eniug their tea with brandy. They
must drink good deal of tea, to Judge
by the handy send them. English
man run heavy on ale and brandy, but
seldom come to the bar, especially in
the morning.
"We haven't had any Japs yet; but
the barkeeper at hotel where party
of 'em are stopping tells me they are
getting fond of lager.
"In this country every State nearly
has its own style of drinks. Of course,
whisky is at the top of the heap, but
then there are hundreds of brands, and
we tly to suit all lasts.
A New Yorker calls for rye, Penn
sylvania Monongahela; the North
Carolina and Florida fellers stick up for
corn whisky, and its nearly certain
death to offer Kentucky drinker any
thing but Bourbon. Delawarians must
have peach brandy and honey, and
Jerseymen take apple-jack in preference
to anything else. Missourians are
great whisky-d,inkers. They want
their whisky straight and strong, and
plenty of it. Georgia, Alabama. Louis
lana, Tennessee and other Southern
States send us great fancy drinkers.
Down South, stranger, they bring up
the best barkeepers in the world. Since
the California wines came out the Paci-
fic people have called heavy for Cataw-
ba, but half of 'em can't tell the diff
ference between still Catawba and an
ordinary Sauterne. They're not much
on the beer, those Western folks. When
they drink they want to feel it."
"Suppose you don't happen to have
the particular brand of whisky gentle
man calls forY'
"Well, that's easily settled. There's
mighty few lars where they keep both
rye and bourbon, and between me and
you there's not many drinkers who can
tell the difference between 'em. Most
bars keep two or more bottles of whisky
(all drawn from the same barely, and il
q bar-keeper understands his business
he can make q customer believe he is
drinking rye when he is actually drink
ing bourbon, or rice versa. Bad rye
whisky, with a dash of common bitters,
can be made to pass as corn whisky.
"Is there much demand for fancy
drinks since the Centennial openedF"
I JUNK.
"Pretty fair. Sometimes bar-keep-
er has to be sharp to keep up with his
orders. The other day Southernel
came in here and ordered "junk" Of
me. What the duce "junk" was had
no idea, so I had to trust to my wits.
found out after little that "junk" was
another name for stone-fence, compound
of apple-jack and cider. Another time o
gentleman wanted an albany punch.
1 asked whether he preferred brandy OF
Santa Croix rum, and when he answered
I knew what Albany punch was, fo'
nearly all punches are bnilt on the
same prescription.
"What are the principal fancy drinks
called for?"
"Nell; Southerners are dead gone
on sherry cobblers, mint juleps, brandy
snashes, brandy juleps and bourbon
sours. New Yorkers take naturally to
milk punches and whisky and egg sours,
and Philadelphians, when they don't
drink ale or beer or take their whisky
straight, 60 for cocktails, whisky smash.
es, Roman punch and Fish-house
punch. Fish-house punch is found
only in this city, and is one OF the
pleasantest drinks known. 1t is made
Of whisky, brandy, Jamaica rum and
several cordials, together with lemons
and oranges. But" continued this
accomplished artist, "tbe same drinks
on nv different names in different parts