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--> --> Some interesting cocktails By Jeff Cheek Social drinking is an accepted part of our culture. We request a favorite cocktail by name. Some of these drinks have unique histories. As an example, the Zombie was created by a bartender in Don the Beachcomber's restaurant. A patron complained that the drinks were too weak. Irritated, the bartender filled the next glass with just about every liquor he had. The customer drank the lethal concoction with no apparent effect. " You must be a zombie," the bartender said. Two well known cocktails are tied to British colonial history. Many young Englishmen sailed for Asia to earn their fortunes. If they survived the endemic malaria, scurvy, cholera and intestinal parasites, they returned rich. The only known cure for malaria was quinine. To combat malaria, the Gin and Tonic was born. The tonic contained quinine. The Gimlet: This drink was invented by Dr. Tom Gimlet and is still popular in the tropics. It is made with lime juice, sugar, and gin. The Vitamin C in the lime juice cures or prevents scurvy. The Manhattan: There are two stories about this popular cocktail. One says that it was invented in 1897 by bartender Herman Miller at Delmonico's restaurant in New York. The other version says it was created as a special drink to he served at the Democratic Party victory celebration in 1874, when New York's Governor Tilden was named the next president. He had 184 of the 185 Electoral College votes needed to win. Rutherford Hayes had 164. The 21 votes from South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana were contested. Congress gave all 21 to Hayes, making him president. Tilden lost, but the Manhattan cocktail is still served. The Ward 8: This was created by bartender Patrick Fogarty for his friend Martin Lomasney, who was running for judge in Boston's Ward 8. It contained 2 ounces of Irish whiskey, and was a favorite of Mayor Curley, who dominated Boston's Democratic Party in the 20s and 30s. He was once elected mayor while serving a jail sentence. Curley was an embarrassment to the Democratic Party. President Roosevelt tried to solve the problem by offering Curley the position of ambassador to Poland. FDR raved about the wonderful life Curley would have in Poland. Curley refused. "If it's such a great job, why don't you take it?" he asked FDR. Curley is the prototype of one of the best political novels ever written, "The Last Hurrah." The Margarita: Red Hinton, a bartender in Virginia City during its heyday as a mining camp, named this tequila-based drink after his Mexican girlfriend, Margarita Mendes. The hot-tempered Margarita once broke a whiskey bottle over a man's head. His friend, Robert Arthur, later shot her in the head. He claimed it was an accident. that he only wanted to frighten her. He said if he wanted to kill her, he would have aimed at her ample bosom, not at a smaller target, her head. Arthur was freed. The Bloody Mary: It was invented in 1929 by comedian Georgie Jessel. Jessel acted as emcee for so many fund-raisers and dinners that he was known as "The Toastmaster General." He mixed tomato juice, gin and lemon juice as a pick-me-up after a night of heavy drinking. He served the first one to a girl named Mary Geraghty. She liked it. Jessel named the new tomato red drink after her. Comment on Alcohol: This column is not an endorsement nor a condemnation of alcohol. There are many positive aspects of alcohol, but alcoholism is a terrible disease. My father gave his five sons the best advice I've ever heard (we all grew up social drinkers). Dad's instruction: "Remember this: Alcohol is a good servant, but a terrible master." Jeff Cheek lives in Medford Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing