Sangaree — Slings — John Collins — Smashes — Sour beverages — Home Ruler — Burning brandy — A prairie oyster — A turkey ditto — About negus, for white-frock and black-mitten parties — Egg nogg — A doctor — A surgeon-major — A new locomotive — Rumfustian — Pope — Bull’s milk — A bosom caresser — The Colleen Bawn — Possets — Sir Fleetwood Fletcher.

“Sangaree” is generally associated with soft-shell crabs and “yellow Jack”; nev-er-the-less here are a few recipes for concocting the drink, in its various forms.
Ale Sangaree.

    Put into a large tumbler a teaspoonful of sifted sugar, and a tablespoonful of water to dissolve it. Add a small lump of ice, and fill up with a mixture of bitter and Burton ales. Dust with nutmeg. This drink may also be served hot, without the ice; need it be added?

Brandy Sangaree.

    Put into a small tumbler one teaspoonful of sugar, half a wine-glassful of water, one wine-glassful {163} of brandy, and fill up with crushed ice. Mix with a spoon, dash the top with port wine, and grated nutmeg.

Gin Sangaree

is made in exactly the same way, substituting Old Tom for brandy.
Port Wine Sangaree.

    A small tumbler, a glass and a half of port, and a teaspoonful of sugar. Add crushed ice, shake well, strain into another glass, and dust with nutmeg.

Porteree

is made like ale sangaree, with the substitution of porter for ale. And in
Sherry Sangaree

the wine of Spain takes the place of the wine of Portugal.
Slings

can be made with brandy, gin, or whisky. The Americans mix a wine-glassful of the spirit with half a wine-glassful of water, a teaspoonful of sifted sugar, and a lump of ice. In England soda-water is mixed with the spirit. What we call a gin-sling is known in the United States as a
John Collins,

but in certain regimental messes this “John” used not to be considered properly attired without {164} the addition of a little cura?oa—the quantity varying with the effect it was intended to produce upon the unsuspecting guest. Occasionally, at about sunrise, boiling water was substituted for soda-water.
Brandy Smash.

    Put into a small tumbler half a tablespoonful of sifted sugar, one tablespoonful of water and a wine-glassful of old brandy; add crushed ice, and shake well. Put in a sprig or two of mint, with two slices of orange on the top, and drink through a straw.

Champagne Smash.

    Small tumbler, tablespoonful of sugar; ice, and fill up with champagne. Add mint, as in above recipe, and serve with a straw.

Gin Smash.

    Small tumbler, teaspoonful of sugar, half a wine-glassful of water, and a wine-glassful of gin. Add ice, mint, and a slice or two of orange. Serve with a straw.

Whisky Smash

is made in the same way, substituting whisky (Irish or Scotch) for gin.
Santa Cruz Smash.

    Put into a small tumbler one teaspoonful of sugar, half a wine-glassful of water, and a wine-glassful of Santa Cruz, or white rum. Add crushed ice, and mint. Serve with a straw. {165}

Apple Jack Sour

is but seldom called for in this tight little island.

    In America it is made in a large tumbler, with half a tablespoonful of sugar, the juice of half a lemon, a squirt of Seltzer water from a syphon, and a wine-glassful of old cider brandy. Nearly fill the glass with crushed ice, and ornament with any fruit in season.

Bourbon Sour.

    Small tumbler, one teaspoonful of sugar, the juice and rind of a quarter of a lemon, one wine-glassful of Bourbon whisky. Add crushed ice, shake well, and strain.

Brandy Sour

is exactly the same potion, with the substitution of brandy for Bourbon whisky. And
Whisky Sour

is the same, made with whisky.

At the Bengal Club, Calcutta, the
Gin Sour

has attained to renown.

    A large tumbler is used, the juice of six limes is squeezed therein, care being taken to remove the pips. A wine-glassful of Old Tom is added, then a liqueur-glassful of raspberry syrup, three quarters of a liqueur-glassful of orange bitters, a wine-glassful of water, and three drops of Angostura bitters. Nearly fill the tumbler with crushed ice, and shake. {166}

Sherry Sour.

    Put into a small tumbler one teaspoonful of sugar, the juice and rind of a quarter of a lemon, one wine-glassful of sherry, and nearly fill the tumbler with crushed ice. Shake, strain, and dash with strawberry syrup.

Home Ruler

was a favourite drink at the bars of the House of Commons, during the reign of the Uncrowned King.

    The yolks of two eggs, well beaten, were placed in a large tumbler, a little sifted sugar was added, and a small tumblerful of hot milk was gradually stirred into the mixture. Last of all a large wine-glassful of “John Jameson” was added.

A curious recipe comes from Switzerland, an elaborate method of
Burning Brandy,

or any other spirit but gin.

    Cut the top off a lemon, and hollow out the interior with the handle-end of a spoon. Place the empty cone thus formed by the skin on the top of a large wine-glass. Fill the cone with brandy, rum, or whisky; take a fork, balance a piece of sugar on the prongs, set the spirit alight, and hold the sugar over the flame until it has melted into the cone. Then take a skewer, and pierce a small hole in the base of the cone. When all the spirit has trickled into the glass, throw the cone away, and drink the result. {167}

“This process,” says my informant, writing from Davos, “sanctifies good liquor, and makes inferior ditto distinctly welcome.”

A
Prairie Oyster

serves as a valuable restorative of vital power. The origin of this popular pick-me-up is said to be as follows:—

“Some years since three men were encamped on Texas Prairie, 500 miles from the sea-coast, when one of them was sick unto death with fever, and was frantically crying out for oysters; he was quite sure that if he could only have an oyster or two he would be cured. After much thought as to how they were to procure what he wanted, one of them, having procured some prairie hens’ eggs, not far from the camp, broke one, and putting the yolk into a glass, sprinkled it with a little salt and pepper, adding a little vinegar, and gave it to his sick companion, who declared it was just the thing he wanted; and from that hour he began to get better, and eventually got quite well.”
Turkey Oyster

is the yolk of a turkey’s egg treated after the above fashion, and is said to be “greatly in vogue with athletes.” But if the athlete be wise he will not omit to swallow the white of the egg as well.

The name “negus” is suggestive of a children’s party—as well as of the east coast of {168} Africa; ’tis a comparatively harmless beverage, said to have been invented by one Colonel Negus.
Port Wine Negus.

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