The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-13
MIXING SUMMER DRINKS.
How to Mix and Serve Cool Drinks.
The Duties of the Porch Hostess.

How to Mix and Serve Cool Drinks.
The Duties of the Porch Hostess.
The porch hostess who adds to her
other accomplishments the ability to
mix summer drinks correctly and ar
tistically may rest assured of her pop
ularity, nor will she ever look more at
tractive than when presiding over
well-appointed serving table. The latter
should be light and airy, in keeping
with her own dainty costume. A COM
plicated service of bottles and equip
ment is less to be desired than skill in
compromising and serving. Delicacy of
touch, termed by the professional bar
tender the technique of his art, can
be attained by practice, thereby ap-
pealing to the eye as we'll as the taste.
Glasses, shaker bottles and syphons
should glisten. For fruits used in gar
rishing the drinks, provide small, low,
glass-dishes. Sliced pineapples, ber-
ries in season, Maraschine cherries,
orange ard lemon add greatly to the
appearance of the drink. Oranges and
lemons should be pared of both yell
low and white rind, thinly sliced and
cut in half. Where they form ingre-
dents, the sugar used in compounding
should be rubbed lightly over the peel
that some of the pungent oil may be
absorbed. Pulverized sugar is more
pleasing to the eve, but granulated dis
solves more easily.
Where drinks are frequently served
1t pays to keep on hand sugar syrup,
known as simple syrup, Or @gum,"
made as follows: Into an enamel pot
pour one and one-halfa quarts of water
and 2 pounds of loaf sugar Boil over
very slow fire, stirring occasionally,
skim off impurities and strain into bot
ties.
Ice should be we'll cracked or shaved
for which purpose an ice shaver may
be secured at any large hardware
store. For straining provide one with
a disc of metal surrounded by spiral
springs This will fit closely to any
glass, no matter what shape, and catch
either the ice used to refrigerate the
drink, or seed particles
In mixing with the shaker a glass
should not be held in one hand with
the mixed in the other. The hands
should grasp both shaker and goblet. as
shown in the illustration, the tin being
placed over the glass firmly but not
too forcibly, lest the stem of the gob-
let be broken. A better plan is to en-
ploy a mixing glass;" which is merely
fact, even shaker may be dispensed
with If only the drink be properly mix
ca. Inc spoon, preferably long-hand-
led bar spoon, should be held between
the thumb and index finger, the other
myers remaining free. Avoid the rot
airy motion or churning which the
average woman considers stirring
Inc spoon should not be raised from
the bottom of the glass more than
half an inch, nor should the rotary
motion be commenced until the sugar
has dissolved. Then, holding the
spoon between the second and third
myers, about three inches from the
top, the thumb steadying the top, de-
scribe circle of small diameter All
danger of splashing is thus avoided.
while the fluids are thoroughly mixed.
The hostess who literally churns her
drinks with a teaspoon destracts from
the cooling effect by the energy she
expends.
The strainer should not be grasped
by the handle and showed into the
mouth of the glass, but should be held
lightly between the first and second
myers of the right hand and pressed
nrmly against the glass which is sup
ported gracefully in the left hand
Where shaker bottles are used, avoid
the appearance of grasping the bottle
fiercely by the neck. Hold it with the
thumb and first two fingers, while the
remaining fingers act as support for
the weighty end of the bottle. In
pouring from heavier bottles, grasp
the base instead of the neck, and in
serving aereated waters from syphons
do not start the flow of liquid with
such force that the contents bound
from the glass. Do not press the lever
down full until the weight of LIQUID
in the glass is sufficient to overcome
the force of the stream.
Nothing so destroys the artistic eff
feet of serving a drink as filing the
glass to overlooking. In garnishing,
add the fruit last, that it may float
on the top. 1t should never appear in
the bottom of the glass. The follow
ing recipes are from the private note
book of one of New Yorks most noted
mixers:
Plain Lemonade.-Peel lemons and
oranges. Squeezes the juice into
large pitcher and add tablespoons of
sugar and 3 quarts of water, plain or
mineral. Stir until sugar is plainly