The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-11

equivalent of an English penny In GER
tain circles of German society-upper
bourgeois as well as aristocra tic-which
are pleased to regard refuse beer-dr.nking
as rather a plebeian Indulgence, marked
favor is shown 70 several summer drinks,
which are considerably dearer than the
brews of King Gambrinus, and bear
near affinity to the cups" which figure
prominently at garden parties, musical
evenings, and carpet dances in the United
Kingdom. Waldmeister-anglice boCage-
and KtrschenWaSser from the Black For
est. impart fragrance and character to
these "Getraenke." the most popular of
which are 'Maitrank," a compound of
light Rhine wine, sugar, cucumber rind,
any aerated water, not medicinal, and
Wild strawberries, and "Pfrsch-B Bowie"
a seductive mixture of new white wine,
maraschino, splintered ice, borage, sliced
peaches or apricots, with a 'round" OF
two of pineapple thrown in, just to give
sort of sub-tropical zest to the whole
'HeXenbrau." These cunning blends of
grape juice, liquors., fresh fruits ice and
aromatic herbs are in the nature of long"
American drinks, and but for their in
nocent weakness. would remind English
men of the "frappe" milk punch usually
served with whitehall at Quartermaine's
or turtle at Paynters.
What chiefly strikes English visitors to
France in very hot weather is the sur
prising assortment of non-ntoxcant drinks
supplied, in connection with highly chilled
''eau gazeuse,'' at all the cafes and drink
ing bars in the capital and the large pro-
vincial towns. Besides "orgeat," "cassis,"
and 'extrait de fieur d'oranger," which
with the aid of ahan-dozen siphon-make
harmless, mawkish summer beVerag es, 10
which Father Mathew himself could have
rased no plausible objection, fruit essences
and the mildest of cordials abound on the
CHI Of to e.fa f,Aso
thirsty, wage-earning French public dis
plays marked prediction for these I'M
exciting liquids which-during the dog
days and such like-it absorbs in enormous
quantities. OF course, even with the Their
mometer at 80 degrees in the shade there
are plenty of unalterable votaries of the
'green-eyed lady" whose charms have
proved fatal to so many gallant and gift
ed Frenchman and thousands of others
who persistently worship at the shrines of
st. Nermouth st. Kimmel, and Ste. AMI
settle, whose pungent ichor they sparingly
dilute with still or sparkling waters, and
ingurgitate on an empty stomach, pour
ouvrir rappetit," to the dreadful impair
ment of their digestive organs, and to the
unnatural checking of the admirable in
stinct which they desire to stimulated
as they dramatically put it, to "open."
These alcoholic cults leave the French
''homme du peuple'' calm, for he knows
nothing of them, He is a sober, thrifty
soul, and, as a rule, drinks petit bleu'-
a liquor that could scarcely inebriate the
average unborn babe-with occasional dis
turbance to his internal economy, but no
damage whatsoever to his intellectual pow
ers.
Italy is by no means beer-drinking
country, although a malt liquor, hight Biz
ra di Chiavenna, at once insipid and eXplo-
sVe, is largely produced. in a northern
most region of the Regno Unto, and is
drunk throughout the Peninsula-never be-
yond its froniers-with a certain sense
of luxury, and of pride in a national pro-
duct which tends to prove that the "in-
gegno Italiano" is equal to any emergency.
Italy, however, overfows with sour and
bitter wines, the acidity and acridity of
which the natives discreetly correct Ly
copious dilution. To an Englishman the
uniform sobriety Of Italians of every So
cial class is simply stupendous. l have
lived in Italy for many months on
stretch, and have visited its chief cities,
as well as its rural districts times without
number, and 1 declare that I have never
encountered an Italian gentleman, trades
man, workingman, peasant or beggar the
worse for liquor. Nevertheless, there are
good sound potables in the Realm of the
Boot-to wit, the choicer growths of Tus-
cany, Capri, the Roman Castell, and the
Terra del Lavoro, not forgetting Orvieto
the finer brands of which district compare
not unfavorabIy with Chateau Yquem and
De Latour Blanche. But the most CRATE
full summer drinks in Italy, purchasable
at every ''tiddleyWink" for a penny a
draught is ''Vermouth III Torino" and
aqua gazzosa." in the proportion of
dram of the former to about six ounces of
the latter. The NORWOOD wine is poured
with a free, unstinting hand from a htre
bottle with a gorgeous label into a tan,
thick glass, and upon it is squirted from
a frigid, misty siphon JET of chilly liquid
that foams and bubbles like the furry"
of a mountain brook. This, indeed, is an
unsurpassable summer drink-fragrant, vi
vacious, and supremely recuperative. 1t
costs ten centessimi, and l will warrant it
to quen a forty dollar thirst"