Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-04
LIFE In CHICAGO.
"A narkeeper Tells a Reporter Some Of
the Secrets of His Art.

"hot al IL Ue, gents!
Gimme gin izz, Tommy"
i guess you can make me up sour"
Inc foregoing conversation, which will be
readily understood by the Initiated took place
the other evening between a well-known actor.
a theatrical manager and a gentlemanly chemist
who compounds mixed drinks in the rear of a
bar which is one of the fixtures OF a wel-known
downtown resort for the bibulous A Tribune
reporter overheardthe conversation as he leaned
lstlessly against the polished mahogany near
by. and as the dapper, white-aproned LIQUID
dispenser began the work OF his magic art the
newspaper man watched him closely. First he
set upon the bar large plain glass and high
tupuiar glass hled with cracked ice. Then he
ueitiv run the white of an egg from its shell
INTO the large glass filled the glass half full of
cracked Ice, poured in modicum of gin. put in
quantity of powdered sugar and section of
lemon and energeticaly hustled the mixture
about in a silver shaker. Then he threw the
cracked ice from the long glass, strained the
mixture into ii and filed up the glass with
squirt OF plain soda. The drink was composed
Oh BODY OF creamy liquid topped by about an
inch OF frothy foam and it looked very tempt
ing. This was gin fizz
linen the nimble liquor artist put up another
large plain glass, filled delicate oval goblet
with Cracked ice, and put a prescription of
lemon, strip. sugar. whisky, and ice in the
large glass. This mixture was also apitated in
the shaker. and. after the cracked ice had been
cast from the goblet. it was poured into it from
the diZZy height that was reached by the chem
lists left arm. bottle of claret was cautiously
uncorked. and about a Gill OF the scarlet liquid
was carefully slid in on top of the yelloWish
mixture in the goblet making pleasant
looking, red-headed drink. That was whisky
sour.
The manager spun a half-dOllar upon the bar,
the TWO SAID, ell. here's go" and the two
beakers of ''coflin-varnish' were quaffed with
sundTy smackS and ''Ohs." Change was made
the two friends withdrew. and the interested
reporter turned to the artistic little barkeeper,
who was washing his glasses and hopping his
bar.
What is the popular drink nowadays Z" he
asked.
'Gin fiz, said the artist as he turned off part of
the gas on his glittering diamond stud. There's
a great run on that now. and we sell hundreds of
them a day at twenty cents each You see every
barkeeper has his own way of making gin fZzes
and some OF them have no egg and fill up the drink
with settler. My style is sometimes called a
silver ffzz. Where the yelk ofan egg is used in
stead of the white the drink is called golden
flzZ The silver fizz is what catches 'em though"
''ls the whisky sour popular drink"
well. our sOurs are very popular now The
claret snap is what hits 'em hard. The claret
makes the drink look well and it gives it bet
ter taste. Men who drink our sOurs eXpect
cIaret at every bar. and when it is not put in
they ask for it. It's getting circulated now,
and other places are adopting our flourish"
Manhattan cocktails are in demand, too"
said the artist. II introduced them some time
ago. and they have become quite popular. They
| are made of vermOuth and gin. l used to keep
bottle Of it compounded and serve it out reg
uarly."
What is a 'blue-blazer?'
'Nell, a blue blazer is a drink made of rum
or Scotch whisky. The liquor is set on fire and
poured from one glass to another. A blue blaze
follows the stream, and there is where the
name comes from. But this drink is seldom
| called for over tirst-cass bar. 1t is a great
country drink as the jaws think more of watch
| ing the blaze than they do of the drink"
what other drinks have yOu?'
The gin puff is favorite drink. It is COM
posed of Old Tom gin. sugar. cream and plain
soda Then there is the pOusse cafe which is
mixture of brandy, bitters. and several cordials.
| carefully poured in layers in 'pony-brandy'
glass"
What cordias are called for most:"
"Chartreuse, benedictine maraschino and
yermouth. though think the latter is more of
a wine than cordial. These cordials are sell
dom taken plain. but are employed as ingre-
dients in mixed drinks. The newest cordial is
abpricotine-ths here. You see its color is
beautiful. We use it as an ingredient in new
drink called the mountain pink" to give color
and flavor. Brandy and soda are used in this
rink"
d What are the best sobering-up drinks?"
htf IL COCKTAIL OF Il gin IiZZ is q GOOd morn
ing drink. We also have beef tea bicarbonate
OF soda, and quinine. Many men have quinine
In their whisky. and we give it to them without
extra charge. Oh. l tell you, am great pre-
scription clerk. Barkeepers nowadays have to
be regular drug Clerks
what are the winter drinks lust now"
whisky teddy. Scotch stew (Which is made
of Scotch whisky. and hot spiced and buttered
rum The butter is a great thing in this drink
We also have many calls for the plain hot Scotch
in cold weather"
"What other mixed drinks are in demand?'
"The chocolate cocktail is often called for It
is made up OF cOrdas. chocolate and the yek
of an egg: It's a stifener, though, it partaken
of freely"
What waters are most called for?"
"Nichy bethesda and apOllinaris Hard
drinks are seldom taken now without some
water on the side Ginger ale has had great
run lately with hard liquor. 1t has taken the
place OF California pop, which has gone out of
the market"
Are old-fashoned cocktails popular now?"
Very popular. You see there is only one
lump of ice used in Them and very little mix
ing Is done. so the liquor is not cut up as
1t is in the cracked ice used in the modern cock
tail"
us absinthe much called for:"
occasionally used up man calls for
frozen absinthe to cool his fevered stomach
Then we drop the absinthe and serve acid
phospnates for the stomach If they are called
for"
SEALING A LETTER.