9 / 78
CONSTANTINO RIBALAIGUA
The Cocktail Master
Por JACK CUDDY
{Copyright 1937 by United Press.)
AVANA, March 2.—(UP).—A gang of us were
lolling about the National Hotel Bar listening to
mister Joseph Hergesheimer, the very sophsticated
american novelist giving off an erudite lecture about Carl
Hubbeil, the Giant's pitcher, picturing him as a fine type
of the rapidly dwindling race of thrue americans, when
somehow or other the general conversation drifted to the
subject of drinking. And without a dissenting voice it was
agreed that drinking was Cuba's National Sport.
That's where Constantino Ribalaigua comes in. Cons
tantino was (caps) not (uncaps) a member of our party.
No indeed! Constantino Ribalaigua is the cocktail king
of Cuba —champion of the Island's outstanding sport.
We first learned about the king pin of Cuban drink
dispensers from our bartender when he whispered the
name of Ribalaigua. Then we sen't a committee of one to
make a telephone: poll of Sloppy Joe's, the Plaza, the
Sevilla, and Prado 86. He returned and said the bartender
was right. The vote was unanimously in favor of Cons
tantino Ribalaigua.
Now, since I am down here to observe not only the
Giants in their warm-ups, but also to investigate the pu-
reiy native sports and their premier exponents, I figure
that it was my duty to investigate the style of this