1914-07-17a

“There’s a new one in town, boys, and it’s something that will tickle the palate to the very root this hot weather.”

Hamilton Spectator.    July 17, 1914.

With a July heat wave in full swing, a lot of talk in Hamilton barrooms focused on a new summer drink called the West Virginia Cocktail :

“It is none other than a glass with a fair ‘slug’ of rye whiskey in it, and a couple of cherries into which a cooler of common or garden variety of ice cream is dumped.”¹

¹“Whisky Sundaes : Brand New Thirst Quencher is Introduced to Hamilton”

Hamilton Spectator.             July 17, 1914.

The new drink made it first appearance in Hamilton on July 16, 1914, and the review of it was less than favorable:

“ ‘I certainly sympathize with the men who drink that mixture,’ said one man who had taken down more than the law of small heads allows. ‘Spoiling good whisky with water is bad enough, but to have to insult it with frozen milk is worse. I’d have to be pretty hard up for a drink before I will punish any more whisky sundaes.’ ”¹

Peurl Friend, identified as “the gentleman who juggles the shaker at The Strand,” told the Spectator reporter that there were many ways of making the drink, depending on the flavor of ice cream used.

The reporter concluded his assessment of the new drink as follows :

“As yet the only verdict on whisky sundaes is that they will do many things which the innocent variety never accomplish. One has to drink several at night and wait and wait until the next morning to get the real answer as to what they are.”¹