The appropriate time for serving the following fine fancy or mixed drinks depends largely on individual taste and established usage.
It is impossible to lay down any hard and fixed rule about the appropriateness of any certain drink.
For instance, one person might care for a certain drink at one time a day and another person might desire it at quite a different period and yet both would be following current custom in the drinking.
Custom also changes somewhat from season to season.
There are, however, certain well-established and generally accepted rules for the consumption of various drinks, the non-observance of which would argue a lack of either a proper taste or education.
One would scarcely expect to see a lover of good liquor drinking a cocktail immediately after dinner.
Cocktails are usually regarded as appetizers or “eye-openers.” They sort of steady and clear one up for the duties or pleasures of the day.
Served just before a repast, they tend to give one a keen and appreciative appetite.
Cocktails make excellent drinks at almost any time of the day, and are much in favor during the early evening.
A fizz or a fix is a good afternoon or evening drink.
A toddy makes a good drink to end the day.
Punches find favor with discriminating drinkers at all hours.
A milk punch is a bracing and invigorating drink for early in the morning, while a hot whiskey punch is more enjoyable later on in the day or in the evening.
Whiskey is in good form any time.
Beginning with whiskey straight early in the morning as an invigorator, the progression through the day would be marked by a progression towards the fancy whiskey drinks.
A highball or a whiskey and soda make an easy way to drink a whiskey beverage.
Certain drinks are accorded greater favor in winter-time, such as eggnog, hot spiced rum, Tom and Jerry.
Other fancy preparations, such as horse’s neck, horse’s collar, mint julep and claret punch, are cooling, refreshing and invigorating summer beverages.
Rhine wine and seltzer is a nice, easy drink any time, while posse cafe adds greatly to the final enjoyment of a good dinner.
It is also a popular evening and after-theater drink.
The choice of beverages for social gatherings would depend entirely on the temper and taste of the various people who were to be present.
In fact, the time to drink a certain drink is when it suits the taste and fancy.
Those who are at all educated or refined in their desires for liquid refreshments will not experience much difficulty in determining which the appropriate beverages are for various occasions and times.
From the book “Red Top Rye Or How to make fine, fancy or mixed drinks” by Ferdinand Westheimer and Sons. US, 1902
