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indulgence. For we gave to the world the julep, we gave it
the cocktail in all its myriad forms, we gave it the rickey
and the fizz and the cobbler and many and many another
delectable concoction of inspired genius.
Yet consider how starkly elemental were the beginnings
of this fine art: The earliest chronicled American potation
was called Flip. The formula required that there be stirred
into' a pitcher of strong home-brewed, or amateur beer
enough
crud~
molasses to sweeten the beer and give it
something to fight with. To the above conglomeration, for
harmony's sake, was added rum in the proportion of one
full jorum of the rum for each drinker, thus conferring
general authority on the whole. And after that, as a dainty
final stroke, the mess was heated by plunging into it a red–
hot poker. And then -
bel~~ve
it or not, dearly beloveds,
- and then our sturdy brass-lined forebears actually
drank it!
They drank it for breakfast!
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