WHAT THE SAILORS DRINK.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 192, 15 August 1925, Page 14

WHAT THE SAILORS DRINK.

In a land free from bootleggers and "enforcement officers," where liquor is regarded as a commonplace, it is interesting to discover what the American sailors are drinking. Three of the visitors strolled into a popular city bar yesterday. One cast his eyes round the "dispensary" shelves and ordered cognac. The second asked for port wine. The third man said he wanted something less potent. "How about-a shandy?" suggested the presiding genius with a shingled head. "What kind of medicine is shandy?" the sailor asked cautiously.

The mild concoction was explained to him.

"I guess it's a perfectly good drink," he said, "but we can get 'near beer' in our own country. A l'il poort wine won't do mc any harm, I consider. Aunt Jerusha told mc after I left my mother's knee that poort wine is a safe drink. That was so long ago I've stopped counting. Even poort wine is barred in the States these days, though they say the college boys—rich men's sons—carry it round in silver flasks to parties 'and dances. This is sure a great country. If it'll only be the memory of your slap-up saloons, where a thirsty'guy is not insulted with hooch and moonshine, we'll tell the world about you. Of course, you can get liquor anywhere in America. In Los Angeles you walk along a line of bootlegger bar tenders calling out "Pint?" till you lose your thirst. What Aunt Jerusha never warned mc against was 'home brew.'"

A laugh from the other sailors pointed this witticiism.

"What is home brew?" the sailor explained, as he gulped down his glass of British after-dinner tradition. "Every grog shop in the United States has its home brew. It's so full of yeast that it makes y' fit to burst liKe a starshell. Home brew, moonshine, hooch! Lemme tell you, there's a great future for this wet country of yours!"