One of the largest and best vintages of claret on record is that of ’75, which ranks with the older ones of ’48, ’58, and ’64. ’77 is fair, and between that year and ’88 there was no vintage of particular merit. ’93 wine is good, and this year furnished the largest yield since ’75. ’94 wine is exceptionally bad. During the five years {148} from ’82 to ’86 the merits of the wines were completely destroyed by mildew. The burgundy vintages have been good since ’84. As for ports, the drinkable wines (since ’34) are those of ’41, ’47 (one of the finest wines ever known), ’51 (exceptionally good), ’52, ’53 (fine and fruity), ’54, ’58, ’63, ’68, ’70, ’72, ’75, ’78 (exceptionally fine), ’81, ’84, ’87 (the best since ’78), and ’96 which “shews promise.” The worst years are ’55, ’56, ’57, ’59, ’64, ’66, ’69, ’71, ’74, ’76, ’77, ’79, ’80, ’82, ’83, ’86, ’88, ’91, ’93 (exceptionally bad), ’94, and ’95. The above statistics are also from Messrs. Hatch, Mansfield and Co.’s list. {149} CHAPTER XIV THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT The Long Drink — Cremorne Gardens — Hatfield — Assorted cocktails — Brandy-and-Soda — Otherwise Stone Fence — Bull’s milk — A burglar’s brew — More cocktails — A “swizzle” — L’Amour Poussée — A corpse reviver — A golden slipper — A heap of comfort. Our grandfathers knew not the Long Drink; the chief reason for this fact being that aërated water, and consequently large tumblers, had not been invented. And soda-water—one of the most ineffectual restoratives I know—was originally employed, under its pet name “sober water,” as a pick-me-up. The Long Drink came in, I fancy, with Cremorne. At primæval Vauxhall men still refreshed themselves with glasses of alleged sherry, and with rummers of brandy-and-water—a flat, stale, and unprofitable potion, which nobody who is in complete possession of his faculties thinks of imbibing nowadays. Let us now run over a few recipes which require large tumblers to hold the drinks. And we will commence with “cobblers,” those seductive warm-weather importations from the United States. {150} _Catawba Cobbler_, so called because Catawba (which is a Californian wine and but little known in this island of ours) is seldom used in its concoction. Champagne is an excellent substitute, whilst a cheaper one is the Italian wine, sparkling Asti. Dissolve one teaspoonful of sifted sugar in one tablespoonful of water in a tumbler; add two glasses of Catawba, or Asti, or champagne, and fill the tumbler with crushed ice. Shake, ornament with a slice of orange or pine-apple, and drink through straws. _Moselle Cobbler._ One glass of sparkling moselle in a large tumbler, a spot of old brandy, sugar to taste, a slice of lemon, and filled up with crushed ice. But there is a sameness in the manufacture of cobblers, in which almost every known wine, or strong water, may be used, with the other ingredients, ice, sugar, slices of lemon or orange, and water (not much water) added.