Evening star., 1912-11-24

NCCAsIoNALLY an old-time wash
L ingtonian signs for the gorgeous
individual of two generations or
less ago-the sleek-headed, bediamoned,
many-hued bartender whose reputation
was that his left hand always knew
what his right hand was doing, and
who could mix two or three wild-eyed
connections with the ease of a practiced
juggler. Bartenders today don't mix
poetry of motion with business; -gyra-
tions and gin rickeys are no longer
synonymous.
But the soda water clerk-the young
man with the white coat and the
cynical eye-has come to supplant the
bartender of good old days, and II the
man who regrets the disappearance OF
the latter can force himself to look
milk-egg-fiip in the eye he can be waited
back to other times.
Where the soda water clerk learns
his trade Is more or less of a mystery
Like the bartender of old. most of them
explain that it comes natural With
out wishing to offend either, 1t seems
ossible that a special strain OF men
nust have come forth to mix drinks
I'd where the father tossed the gentle
-1,ir mash, the son f1ips the inocuous
arsaparilla shake.
When the weather becomes cold and
rot water plays prominent part In
soft-drink Mythology. the soda water
SS>S~
IN egg by the neck. crush its young
ife out, shoot in two sirups and some
.hing else. and toss 1T TO and fro and
back again in long. ripping streams.
Matted milk. cherries. crushed nuts,
chocolate, fruits. carbonated water,
plain hot water and dozen other In
gradients are gayly fiipped and tossed
about to their eternal astonishment,
while young girls sigh rapturously as
they watch their drinks in the state of
If the young soda clerk happened
to shampoo his shining head with the
contents of the silver shaker.
A reporter for The Star not long ago
strolled into prominent drug store on
f street and ordered IA Balkan delight.
which Is so named because it is very
much stirred up. AS the young soda
water clerk reached for the egg-they put
eggs in nearly all the drinks-the reporter
asked him how long 1t took to master
the various drinks.
Most of u.s." said the young clerk nom
chalantly. begin in small stores. where
they have an old-fashioned counter with
five sirups and one kind of Ice cream.
Mixing soda in those little stores is easy.
You just put in the sirup. add the soda
water and feed 1t to the customer after
capturing his money. If you aren't am
bilious you stop there. II you are ambi-
tious you begin experimenting with a
glass and shaker. First you toss them
close together. being careful that the pro-
prietor isn't watching. It's surprising
how easy it is to learn to flip drinks II
you happen to have the 'knack.' which
really means good nerves. After expert
menting for while you become proficient
and move to a larger store. Finally,
when you are expert, you get job in one
of the big places"
With these few words he hurled The
Star reporters potential drink toward
the ceiling, the reporter anxiously watch
ing until the contents of the glass hit the
shaker, and then, with sigh of relief,
said:
Don't you miss.
Nope" replied the soda water clerk
calmly: cant afford to miss"
How do YOU learn to mix the huge
variety of drinks you've got listed up
there?'
That's easy" said the soda water
clerk. You start with the mixtures
that the store has. After short time