# Archaic Beverages **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [July 3, 2022, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329 "2022-07-03T03:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/61 "2022-07-04T00:01:44Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I think some of the mid-range drinks that I’ve _heard_ of, but never actually had or seen might qualify. My dad mentioned something called a “boilermaker” which was a beer with a shot of whiskey in it, either in sequence (slam the beer, down the shot), or mixed together. That’s one that I haven’t actually seen or heard of in the wild actually, there’s a few versions of this …what you do is fill a shot glass with whiskey and a full mug of beer drop the full shot glass of whiskey into the mug, and down both at the same time the “Irish car bomb” is the same recipe but you light the Irish whiskey before you down it and the dr pepper shot is the same but its amaretto that you light up > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > As a former Denny’s waitress (granted, almost 40 years ago), if someone ordered a cherry Coke, etc. we would pour a full glass of the ordered beverage, and mix in a spoonful of maraschino cherry juice from the cherries we used on the desserts. (They were also serving beer and wine at the time, which didn’t last long. Nowadays the coca-cola company gives Dennys cherry, orange and lime along with other flavors syrup to mix in with the coke and sprite in the summer one year they had a thing about “pineapple sprite” it wasn’t bad ours served beer and wine but when the license came up they didn’t bother to renew it not many people remember it tho cause it was only a year or maybe two ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/62 "2022-07-04T00:24:11Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I know a place with lots of sassafras trees and have made my own root beer. It’s good. Growing up a company made a pop they called “sarsaparilla”, but it tasted like root beer. I don’t know the difference. ‘True’ sarsaparilla is a Southeast Asian drink made from a tropical vine that is (if I recall correctly) related to the lily. American sarsaparilla was originally made with birch oil and sassafras bark. Since sassafras oil is now known to be carcinogenic and is banned in food, they use artificial flavoring. It’s like root beer (and always was), but with spicier finish - at least to me, but then again most , if not all, root beers these days use artificial flavoring as well (same problem with sassafras). Honestly, of the group of similar sodas, I tend to prefer birch beers. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/63 "2022-07-04T00:38:27Z")
What’s referred to as a Suicide above was called a Bomb at my summer camp, I started drinking Old Fashioneds after watching _ **Mad Men** _. I make them with Canadian rye. I loved phosphates when I was growing up. My favorites were lime and cherry. I think the last time I had one was around 1984, at a Bridgeman’s in St Paul. I can’t seem to find the drink anywhere nowadays. The one place I know of in Toronto where you could get a malt was Bean and Baker, which closed during the pandemic. Damn! 😠 They also sold signature sodas (pop) that were on the same level as phosphates Malts are easy to make at home if you have a blender. All you need are vanilla ice cream, whole milk, malted milk mix (Carnation, Horlicks, or Ovaltine) and whatever syrup or other additions you like. The thicker the finished malt, the better. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/64 "2022-07-04T00:47:47Z")
Your mention of switchel reminds me that I forgot to mention shrub, a somewhat similar combination of vinegar and fruit syrup with carbonated water (or the vinegared syrup itself used in such drinks, sometimes with alcohol added). Though I’m not sure shrub really counts as “archaic” anymore, since it seems to have been enthusiastically rediscovered and there are commercial canned and bottled versions of it. I make shrub by mixing frozen fruit juice concentrate with some vinegar and adding flavored seltzer. King summertime drink. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/65 "2022-07-04T00:52:32Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > Nowadays the coca-cola company gives Dennys cherry, orange and lime along with other flavors syrup to mix in with the coke and sprite That’s really cool. I’ve never seen this available at a Denny’s. Can you give me a cite where I can read more about this? Or are you referring to a Coke “Freestyle” machine like they have a McDonald’s? ---
**Author:** ![JohnnyEcks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnnyecks/32/18197_2.png) [@JohnnyEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnyEcks)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/66 "2022-07-04T02:30:32Z")
I’ve had Moxie, it was terrible. Tastes Medicinal. I love lime Rickeys, and purchased a book called “Fix the Pumps” that contains a history of soda fountains and includes a ton of recipes. I even bought a bottle of the acid phosphate mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/67 "2022-07-04T02:55:34Z")
There was once a drink sold in my Upstate South Carolina area called “Penderine” that was made from peanuts and DNA (which were once called “penders” and “nuclein”). I don’t think it ever rose to the level of popular, but it sure fits “archaic”. [![](https://i.imgur.com/Ll2uzsu.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/Ll2uzsu.jpeg) It was advertised heavily in the [1905 Anderson City Directory](https://archive.org/details/andersoncitydire1905unse/page/n3/mode/2up) (which is an interesting artifact itself—it was a “phone book” predecessor before there were many phones, listing everyone in the city by address, name, and occupation.) (Penderine is almost impossible to google because Google insists that I want to know about a different word with a different spelling and will not accept otherwise.) ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/68 "2022-07-04T03:06:53Z")
Ooh. We used to be able to get cherry phosphates when I was kid. They were really good. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/69 "2022-07-04T04:58:15Z")
really? it used to be in the Dennys menus listed in the drink section … it might of said "drink flavorings free " because at first they charged like 20 cents more for it then they just said it was free … it started back then they were trying to be a retro 50s motif … > **[Cherry Cherry Limeade - Dennys, View Online Menu and Dish Photos at Zmenu](https://www.zmenu.com/dennys-restaurant-pendleton-online-menu/cherry-cherry-limeade-10006466)** > > Cherry Cherry Limeade from Dennys with 0 reviews from critics and local diners. View menu online and photos. here’s one of the cherry sprite drinks although from what I’ve seen in the new menus is some of them have a free style machine now ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/70 "2022-07-04T05:32:21Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > really? it used to be in the Dennys menus listed in the drink section … it might of said "drink flavorings free " because at first they charged like 20 cents more for it then they just said it was free … it started back then they were trying to be a retro 50s motif … I likes the idea of getting a “real” on made from scratch! Oh well, I’ll just have to look other places. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/71 "2022-07-04T05:33:45Z")
> [@JohnnyEcks](#): > > I’ve had Moxie, it was terrible. Tastes Medicinal. I tried it once. It had a pink bubblegum flavour. When I was a child, I liked bubblegum, but as an adult … well, let’s just say that I went back to Coke. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/72 "2022-07-04T06:10:14Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I read recently about some cocktail that people generally don’t order in bars any more being used as their “safe cocktail”, that people in the know would use to alert the bartender that something was wrong, and a customer who didn’t know about this had a hard time convincing the staff that she was not in danger and really did want that mixed drink. Assuming we’re thinking of the same thing, that’s called an “angel shot”, and it’s not a real drink at all - it’s an informal code intended to let the bartender know that you need help getting home safely. I’ve read that some bars put a poster in the women’s restroom with the house instructions on how you should ask for one. > **[The Angel Shot: What It Is & How to Implement It](https://budgetbranders.com/blog/the-angel-shot/#:~:text=One%20such%20initiative%20is%20known,head%20off%20a%20dangerous%20encounter)** > > The Angel Shot is a phrase patrons can use to let staff know they feel unsafe. Find out how to implement this safety measure in your bar at Budget Branders. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/73 "2022-07-04T06:13:00Z")
Soda water aka Seltzer has enjoyed cycles of popularity going back to the 18th century. There is current upsurge in sales under the name ‘Sparkling water’. It is mostly found premixed in bottles now, but once impractical to keep from going flat. In the 19th century the [Gasogene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasogene) was invented to carbonate the mixture after purchase, and then later the pressurized seltzer bottle, staple of slapstick comedy, became common as a delivered item in large cities. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/74 "2022-07-04T06:17:08Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I read recently about some cocktail that people generally don’t order in bars any more being used as their “safe cocktail”, that people in the know would use to alert the bartender that something was wrong, and a customer who didn’t know about this had a hard time convincing the staff that she was not in danger and really did want that mixed drink. That same story or one similar to it was recently posted on “Not Always Right.” > **[The Moral Of The Story: Know Your Whiskey](https://notalwaysright.com/the-moral-of-the-story-know-your-whiskey/261254/)** > > Wife: "Oh, shoot. My husband has my ID in his pocket; he's right over there.” \*Points\* “I can go back and get it real quick." Bartender: "No, no, don't worry about that, just… wait right here. I will be back." ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/75 "2022-07-04T08:24:19Z")
> [@JohnnyEcks](#): > > I’ve had Moxie, it was terrible. Tastes Medicinal. > [@Spoons](#): > > I tried it once. It had a pink bubblegum flavour. When I was a child, I liked bubblegum, but as an adult … well, let’s just say that I went back to Coke. Pink bubblegum? That’s something new. When I tried Moxie it reminded me of Vicks VapoRub. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/76 "2022-07-04T08:25:23Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Pink bubblegum? That’s something new. When I tried Moxie it reminded me of Vicks VapoRub. Big Red, on the other hand, absolutely tastes like pink bubblegum. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/77 "2022-07-04T11:37:28Z")
Does anybody drink Rob Roys anymore? The last time I saw a reference to it was on The Jeffersons. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/78 "2022-07-04T12:20:24Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > What is the recipe? Isn’t the lemon already quite acidic by itself? Lemon juice itself has very little lemon flavor, and phosphate gives a brighter sort of tartness. So if you substitute phosphate for the lemon juice, and add sugar and lemon zest or lemon extract, you can get more intensity in the flavors you like, rather than be overpowered by the raw acidity of lemon juice. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/79 "2022-07-04T13:03:43Z")
Man, my sense of “archaic” is very different from the OP’s [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/izpoexYN1-8/maxresdefault.jpg "How to make 5,000 year old beer I Pleasant Vices episode 3") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izpoexYN1-8) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329/80 "2022-07-04T13:13:33Z")
The “angels’ share” is the portion of spirit lost from the cask due to evaporation. Ordering that to drink will indeed cause people to look at you strangely 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archaic-beverages/967329.md?page=5)