The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-11-20
Sacrets of the Harroam.


Secrets of the BarrO0m.
"Whisky-drinking is increasing i'm
mensely now," said the head bar
keeper of an uptown hotel few
nights ago, ''althoug gh our custom has
not increased materially. 1t seems to
me that mixed drinks have had their
day as far as popularity is concerned.
Of course it will always be necessary
to make the connections that have
made the American bar famous all
over the world, but / doubt if there
will ever be such run on them as
there was five or six years ago. In
those days party OF men would walk
in here, lean against the bar, and one
would order brandy cocktail, another
a sherry flip. the next gin and worm
wood bracer, the fourth fizz, and the
other frozen absinthe with bitters. 1t
seemed to be matter of pride with
hard drinking crowds-and hard
drinkers usually travel together, you
know-to change their drinks often.
They took a great interest in the mix
| ing of the drinks, and usually watched
the operation closely. Most OF them
could tell the instant the drink touched
their lips if there was single drop OF
| bitters too much.
''In those days a bartender had to
work harder than he does now, and his
skill brought him great credit. He
was in constant practice, and a good
deal more skillful than now. 1 had to
make cocktails every morning for at
least twenty men. They never thought
of breakfasting before coming to see
me. 1t would have been good deal bet
ter for them if they'd staid away. Pm a
drinking man myself, but l wouldn't
touch liquor before breakfast for big
money. Nothing knocks a man so
soon as that, and do you know how
Eve found it out?"
"By experience, suppose"
'Not by my own experience, but by
looking at the twenty-odd guests in
this house for whom I have been max
ing cocktails for years.
He was typical modern barten-
der, quick, respectful, with close
clipped hair and graceful mustache,
dexterous white hands, and ire
proachably neat attire. All of the
men under him had the same charac-
teristics. He told the writer once
that he discharged the best bartender
that he had ever had because that
young man twirled his mustache while
| at work. 1t was his theory that GUS
toners did not care to have drinks
mixed by man who did that.
"What started to say, continued
the head bartender, coming back to
the end of the bar after serving some
faycrite customers, ''was that whisky
is gradually becoming the staple
drink. Drinkers are quick to learn
the difference between good and bad
whisky, and they've got over the craze
for mixed drinks and settled down to
steady whisky drinkers. I've noticed
it particularly this summer, when
many of our patrons gave up the per-
spiration- starting so-called summer
drinks and kept on with whisky. No
particular brand is now in demand,
because there are SO many good
brands. They have all improved, be-
cause drinkers will have none but the
best, and poor stuff is not profitable. y
sWhat about the popularity Of
beer?"
The bartender's face lighted up with
sudden interest, and he looked eau
tiously around. Then he said in a
lower voice, as though revealing q
state secret of great Importance
"You know me, and you know that
have an honest liking for my bust
ness. Well, what'1l you say when
tell you that beer drinkers are having
it played ON them in the lowest style
of the art? It's fact that can bt
proved without an effort. The bars
now have no such thing as an assort
ment or choice of beers. You must
take what they offer. And what dt
they offer? They give you the bee
that paws them best. 1t isn't a matte
of fexcellence ct all. The brewers all g
to the saloon-keepers and bid for thei1
custom. The brewer that pays the
most gets it. What's the result? Ii
half the bars of upper New York bee
J is forced on men who do not like it
flavor or weight. More than that, it,
not good beer. You hear meP Well
ventilate the subject in the interest
of drinking men. Ventilate it,
Nea0 York Sun.
A Business With Her.
A careful housewife, upon enterin!