The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-09
A HOME OF THE MAY VINE.
An Old Fashioned BarroOm Where the Ger
man Drink is nj lis Best,

man Drink is at It's Best.
May is over, but the season for May wine
will continue for at least four weeks longer.
Its official duration in this city is alwaysde-
termined by the action Of the little "wein"
! room near Union Square TO which all con-
noisseurs in this German springtime bev-
erage resort. For twenty-six ear the
-Maiwein" BOW has stood on the eastern
end Of the bar and thither thirsty pilgrims
h never 60 to the place at any other sea-
son wend their way. The DOW is not
the customary china punchbowl of the
average barroom filled with a watery
| yellow liquid adorned with a few straw
berries and spears Of mint. This re-
ceptacle is covered with a dark copper
frame, like a short fat barrel. One side
of the top lifts like a lid ard inside this
fortress rests the punchbowl. About it
is ice enough to keep the mixture always
cool, but never icy.
The black walnut bar fixtures that are
now duskier than ever from the clouds of
smoke that arise during most of the day
and until late in the night were put into
place long before the May wine days of
the establishment. 1t had been a barroom
for some years before and they are old
fashioned enough to bespeak a long term
OF service. The low ceiling, panelled with
long boards also PAINTED the color of the
mahogany, has their share in adding to
the dimness.
Back of the bar stretches a large, low room
and here can always be had simple German
dishes. At midday there is a lunch at a
fixed price served to the patrons of the
quiet old bar. Even then there is no more
light than at any other time and nothing
in the nature of a rush disturbs the reigning
repose of the place.
When the May wine season begins, toward
the end Of April, the other patrons begin to
come back. Its effects in the cool, quiet
room with the breeze blowing in from
Union Square and the drowsy conversa-
ton Of the other guests is not always cal
oulated with as much accuracy as it should
be. Four glasses of the seemingly simple
liquid are likely to have potent effects.
Broadway in the sudden glare of the sun
looks different in a way, n one longs 10
return to the comfortable gloom of the
low basement. Union Squares tall build
ings exhibit a perspective that does not
seem Just the same it was a little earlier
in the afternoon. Strange impressions of
this kind are likely TO make themselves felt
after toe many glasses Of the sweet but
stimulating mixture.
Any German will tell you that the essence
Of May wine is the "waldmeister,n a herb
that comes in the early spring. If you
look in a lexicon the English translation is
woodruff Strangely enough. there is no
Rhine wine in the cup, Mosel, champagne
and woodruff, however, are combined in
this mixture.
On the ice in the great refrigerator stand
ing in the corner is a bag of the herb col
lected on Staten Island by The men and
women who make a speciality of carrying il
about at this season of the year 10 the wine
shops where the Germans gather for the
bowl. It's pungent odor is scarcely notice.
able, as the ice has made il too cold for that.
On some OF the branches is a tiny light
colored flower.
The old fashioned Rhine wine bottle
gathered on the bar back Of the counter be-
speak a more heroic race OF drinkers than
those slipping at the round tables now.
There are maCnums and double gnu
painted and gilded where their paper labels
used TO be. There was once upon n time,
the tradition goes, a night on which all these
bottles were emptied-whioh sounds as il
the drinkers must lave been a race Of
giants. II is certain that few customers Of
the, present generation would be equal 10
such deeds Of prowess. Most Of the men
who sit about in the gloom arc past middle
age and few young men are seen there,