Evening star., 1902-09-02
LONDON CAPITULATES
SURRENDERS CHEERFULLY 10
AN AMERICAN INVASION.
Summer Beverages of Imported Origin
All the Go in the Eng
lish Capital.
From the London Telegraph.

With tho thermometer anywhere between
50 and 90 in the shade the problem OF coin-
Portable existence presents no little COM
pIexity Dress, diet. drink-these are the
three principal factors which present them
selves to the consideration Of the average
mind, and unquestionably the greatest OF
these is drink The truly wise take as 1T
tie liquid as possible during hot weather
but as the philosophy of Carlyle was easeo
on the assumption that foelishness mas Il
large place in the census returns, so 1t
must be assumed that in this case wisdom
is not especially known of her children.
Something depends on constitution, more
on occupation, and still more on habit.
There are souls that are thirsty all the
wear round and that are never more clam
orous for the means of assuasement than
when we get what the Americans can
"hot spell" 1t says much for the success
of the schooimaster that at length even
this class has got firmly hold of the ldea
that during periods of heat the one thlnS TO
be avoided is alcoholic drink. Nowadays,
as the temperature rises the consumption
of alcoholic beverages automatically falls,
and it has been asserted that II we had
three months of persistently torrid weather
the excise revenue from dr1nk-coupieo win
that from tobacco, the use or Wnlch al
WAYS diminishes during period of heat
would show a decline that might seriously
embarrass the chancellor of the exchequer.
Lighter Drinks Favored.
The tendency in favor Of the lighter and
less harmful forms of liquid refreshment
was certainly never more pronounced than
at the moment, and this probably because
| the facilities for meeting the demand are
incomparabiy superior to those to when
! our forefathers were accustomed. Time
| was when any one tn search of non-alco-
| holic drink must quit the highways for the
| byways and if he discovered drlnkabie
| bottle of ginger beer in an uninviting shop
he deemed himself fortunate mortal. AS
| for cup Of coffee, that was luxury
which was only to be had at a street stall,
unless one was brave enough to encounter
the wrath of the young lady behind the
bar whose views on these subjects were
| usually quite on par with those of British
| manufacturers who have lost so much of
| their foreign trade because they deemed
| themselves the sole judges OF what thelr
customers could possibly want. There were
so-called coffee houses, 1t is true out these
were invariably so redolent OF kipperS and
of haddocks that only great strength OF
| character could overcome the sense OF re-
pulsion. Looking back on 1t ALL the Won
der seems to be that the temperance move
ment. as it is called. ever survived condf-
| tions based on a profound belief that all
| truly patriotic citizens must, at all sea
| sons of the year. build themselves up on a
| diet of beef and beer. By rare stroke OF
enterprise it was happily discovered that
/ the provision OF light refreshment might be
| maze a very TeIuuueTdliSe
| and So ore by one, quite palatial abodes
have obtruded themselves on the main thor
| oughfares, until competition in this direc-
| tion has brought the management Of tho
| perfection.
| The Main Plank.
Tea is. of course, the main plank in the
| platform of this particular class OF cater
| ers, and tea Is much consumed during hot
| weather, on the plea that In the end 1t
| exerts cooling influence. But In the
| opinion OF many the end is so far of as to
scarcely justify the means. Hence there Is
| very large demand for such pleasant
| drinks as soda and milk, lemon squash and
| iced coffee-the latter not very frequently
| to be had In general the taste runs more
and more in the direction of iced drinks,
| whether in licensed or unlicensed houses
| In the former the popularity Of stone GIN
GERBER ION the ice," is surprisingly main
tained, and if it is qualified at all the addi-
tion still usually takes the form OF gin.
Why. apart from ALTERATION, there should
be so close a connection between gin and
gingerbeer nobody seems able to explain.
The chief alternatives are shandygaf or
lemon and dash.' each OF which are
considered to represent nice compromise
between two opposing principles. Taken
| altogether, however, 1t must be confessed
| that English people are not superlatively
enterprising in the production OF summer
| beverages. They are not driven to drink
| as their fathers were, but the summer pro-
ductions ordinarily at their call are still
| limited and in great measure unscientific.
| Perhaps it is because 1t Is not deemed worth
| while to take much trouble In view Of q
4 season which with us has often been de.
| scribed as consisting Of two fine days and q
| thunderstorm. This, nevertheless, is an
| age when somebody else Is always pre-
| pared to step forward and supply our de-
nciencies. and the Americans are doing 1,
In serious fashion. We were already under
national obligation to them In respect OF
the Introduction of the cocktail. Now they
are showing us the way, In American barr
, | and in chemists shops. In the matter oi
summer beverages.
4 omnipresent Soda Fountain.
OF hair tonics liver pills and Thousand
and one forms of druggists sundries thers