The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-04
HOW THEY Mrx DRINKS IN EUROPE
Cultivated American Taste Is shock
ed nv the DecOctions.

you can hardly realize the strange at
tempts which are made 10 initiate the
American mixed drinks in the European
hotels and drinking places which are ire
uuented by American tourists, said
New Yorker who makes it practice to
take tear through Europe every sum
mer. In London, Paris, Berlin and other
European capitals you Will ind in every
large barre ON place by itself over which
Is a sign bearing the legend, American
Bar and a long list OF drinks that are
supposed to be dear TO the hearts OF
Americans. The Manhattan cocktail heads
the list and the bartender or barmaid in
variably processes to be especially expert
in its decoction. Up TO last summer l
avoided these American bars preferring,
selfshy / suppose, to be guided by the
expe rience OF others who had tried the
mixed drinks they dispensed.
Last summer, however. decided that
/ would see for myself how Manhattan
cocktails were made in foreign lands. My
experiences in Germany and Austria 1
will pass over In London | found plenty
OF places with American bars and for
mldable list of mixed drinks containing
many names l had never heard of in
America. one day, having an intense
longing for a cocktail, | decided to hunt
up an acquaintance who had Travelled in
this country and invite him TO join me.
He piloted me to big hotel where he as
sured me there was a barmaid who could
mix Manhattan with any bartender in
New York.
The barmaids fingers moved so quickly
that they looked like a white streak. She
tossed into a tumbler a little Of nearly
everything in the bar. shook the mixture
up in a shaker and poured II into two cock
tail glasses each alleged cocktail having
a stiff froth about half an inch thick. All
/ could say about 1t was that 1 had tasted
worse drinks. not wishing to discourage
my friend who evidently had the mistaken
idea that he was drinking a real Mannat-
tan.
I'm Paris 1 found an American bar In
every hotel OF any pretension. | ordered
cocktails at one or two OF them and found
that while they were not the genuine ar
ticle they Appropriated the American
drink more closely than anything | had
tasted outside of America. After | had
been In Paris n week was strolling one
evening In the Boulevard des ltanens and
turning into the Rue st. Honore | ran up
against a wen known New York Jurist who
had lately been much talked about and
whom / knew very well. OF course we were
mutually pleased at the meeting and the
first words he said after We exchanged
greetings were: L wonder II 1t Is possible to
get a Manhattan cocktail here. Opposite to
us was "A big hotel and he suggested mat
we try IL. We found the usual American
har and behind IL was a bartender In his
shirt sleeves He was a square-jawed fell
low. with a twinkle In his eye, and when we
asked In French for the manager OF tho
hotel he pointed him out. The manager
talked English as fiuently as we did and
wa explained to him our intense desire for
a real Manhattan.
"'Your desire shall be gratlhed, ne SAID.
smiling, while the bartender looked at us
"a II he was reading our thoughts
Can he mix a Manhattan cocktailY L
asked pointing to the bartender. The par
tender placed his hands on the counter,
thrust his head forward and SAID with an
unmist akabie Bowery accent;
"sYah betcher boots he can
"He nodded his head several times and
leaked amused at our establishment. Then
he began tossing into the tumbler the In
gradients for two genuine Manhattans
While he was pouring them out, the real
thing this time he told us he had been
bartender on the Bowery. Leaving New
York for Europe about two years before
he had drifted TO Paris. He managed TO
hnd employment in this hotel at the
American bar and he made such a sue
cess OF 1t that he not only had a good
salary hut "A share OF the PROFITS besides
We had several Manhattans, and then the
bartender insisted Bowery fashion, that
We should have 'one on the house These
cocktails were the first and only of the
real article | had tasted outside Ameri-
ca New York sun.