Fix The Pumps: Bridging the Gap Between Soft and Hard Drinks

We haven't read Darcy O'Neil's Fix the Pumps yet, but you can bet it's on our Christmas list now that it's on our radar. We're fans of Mr. O'Neil's Art of Drink website, and this book sounds like a fascinating account of how soda jerks were the ancestors of modern mixologists, and offers solid advice on how to integrate their techniques into your own bar.

Here's a description from Ed Hamilton over at Ministry of Rum:

Fix the Pumps peers into the history of the American soda fountain and the fascinating connections it had with bars and cocktails, including raising the ire of the Temperance League. Many of the unique ingredients and techniques, employed by the pharmacists, are explored in-depth including production of in-house seltzer water, soda acidulents and 450 pre-prohibition soda recipes.

The thing that really caught our eye was this query we found over at Art of Drink - "What happened in 1885 that made the cocktail go from being the preferred morning bracer to an evening nightcap?" Inquiring minds want to know.

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Posted by Jake at December 16, 2010 8:30 AM