Bibulo.us - We plead the 21st.

"Under the Anheuser Bush" (1903)

"Under the Anheuser Bush"

Words by Andrew B. Sterling ; music by tin pan alley great Harry Von Tilzer (who also wrote "Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage" and whose younger brother Albert Von Tilzer wrote the music for "Take Me Out To The Ballgame").

Photos of complete sheet music from the San Francisco Public Library collection.

Talk about the shade of the sheltering palms,
Praise the bamboo tree and its wide spreading charms,
There's a little bush that grows right here in town,
You know its name, it has won such renown;
Often with my sweetheart just after the play
To this little place then my footsteps will stray,
If she hesitates when she looks at the sign,
Softly I whisper, "Now Sue don't decline."

(chorus)
Come, come, come and make eyes with me,
Under the Anheuser Bush
Come, come, drink some "Budwise" with me
Under the Anheuser Bush
Here the old German band,
Just let me hold your hand, Yah!
Do, do, come and have a stein or two,
Under the Anheuser Bush... Bush

Rave about the place where your swells go to dine,
Picture Sue and me with our sandwich and stein,
Underneath the bush where the good fellows meet,
Life seems worth living, our joy is complete;
If you're sad at heart, take a trip there tonight,
You'll forget your woe and your eyes will grow bright,
There you'll surely find me with my sweetheart Sue,
Come down this ev'ning I'll introduce you.

(repeat chorus)

"I'm on the water wagon now" (1903)

"I'm on the water wagon now"

Words by Paul West ; music by John W. Bratton

Photos of complete sheet music from the San Francisco Public Library collection. A copy of this work is also displayed at the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans.

The moon was shining brightly as I rambled home one night;
The trees made shadows that appeared like streamlets to my sight.
I stepped across them lightly, so I would'nt wet my feet,
But finally I came to one that took up all the street.
I thought I'd have to swim it, so I started to undress,
When a cop cried, "Here, young feller, I'll take care of you I guess"
I started to explain, but he exclaimed, "Come off your perch!"
That ain't no pend, it's nothing but the shadow of a church!"

(chorus)
I'm on the water wagon now.
I never get a jag on now.
Just imagine if some women
Had come by when I was swimmin'!
But I'm on the water wagon now.

One night I met a college chum I had'nt seen for years.
We razzle-dazzled 'round the town, and gave the college cheers
Until the sun was shining; then for home we thought we'd start,
But to our great dismay we could'nt tell ourselves apart.
At last we went to his address - or mine - we did'nt know.
We pulled the bell, and waited for his wife - or mine - to show.
And when a voice called "Well, who's there?" we cried in accents dim,
"Your husband's here. Come down and see which one of us is him."

(chorus)
I'm on the water wagon now.
I never get my jag on now.
Now I spend my nights in slumber -
I know both my name and number,
For I'm on the water wagon now.

One time when I was wrestling with the mighty Demon Rum,
The James Preserves attacked me, I thought my time had come.
Pink elephants and purple snakes and green ones too, appeared,
The doctor came, and oh, I saw blue serpents in his beard,
At last they got the lady who charms snakes up at the zoo,
She cured me very quickly and she took the serpents too,
Which causes me embarrassment, because whenever now
I pay a visit to the zoo, the snakes all smile and bow.

(chorus)
But I'm on the water wagon now.
I never get a jag on now.
I'm improving in my habits,
No more snakes or purple rabbits,
For I'm on the water wagon now.

One night, I never shall forget - I thought I'd leave the crowd.
They propped me up against a fence and went off singing loud.
The universe was going round, and everything seemed wrong;
And I was glad I had that fence to help me get along.
I hugged the fence, began to walk; indeed it seemed a friend.
But finally I wondered if I'd ever reach the end.
I walked and walked till daylight, when to my dismay I found,
The fence enclosed a monument, and I'd been walking 'round.

(chorus)
I'm on the water wagon now.
I never get a jag on now.
No more ring-a-round-a-rosy,
Round a fence when sad and dozey;
For I'm on the water wagon now.

"The Glorious High Ball" (circa 1905)

"The Glorious High Ball"
words & music by
G. B. Brigham

Photos of complete sheet music from San Francisco Public Library collection.

Here's to the glorious high ball
that gives you strength and vim.
Here's to the scotch and rye,
fill the glass up to the brim.
Let jollity reign supremely
and drive away all care,
so fill up the bumper fully,
with the beverage fine and rare.

(chorus)
Drink the high ball at night fall,
be good fellows while you may,
for the morrow may bring sorrow
so be joyous and gay.
Shout the glories of good stories
while your heart brims full of fun.
Let the high ball make you merry.
Here's health to every one.

Cheer then to the high ball
let wit and humor flow.
See the sparkling mixture
bubble with a glow.
Then sing the song of glory.
Let mirth resound the air,
bring on the famous nectar.
Here's to fairest of the fair.

(repeat chorus)

Neyah White

It's the small decisions that make a truly great bartender. Sitting at the bar at Nopa I watched Neyah White make a basic order: a Sazerac and an Old Fashioned. Every choice - the glassware, the bitters, the whiskey (after inquiring "bourbon or rye for that  Old Fashioned?") - was spot on. It is the smallest choice, though, which shows the most skill and consideration. He built the Old Fashioned with care - no 'fruit salad' here - and then mixed the Sazerac, stirred it a properly long time for a lovely chill, and only then did he add two ideally sized ice cubes to the Old Fashioned. Perfect timing for two very different drinks, minimizing unwanted melt. Maybe it's obvious when you care, but so many don't. Neyah, and his staff, care.

Honored by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the six Bay Area bartenders picked as 2008's Bar Stars, he is another bartender we admire for his careful use of ingredients and the creation of his own where appropriate. His knowledge of spirits is prodigious and appears to be ever-growing; nor is he loathe to share the wealth. Newcomers to cocktails and old experts can both benefit from a conversation with this cocktail ambassador.

Neyah is the bar manager at Nopa in San Francisco where he has built a strong reputation for great housemade bitters, tinctures and liqueurs used in exemplary drinks ranging from spirits-driven classics to kitchen-inspired local showcases. The Manhattan entry here on bibulo.us is graced by a picture of his Jerry Thomas style version of the drink, featuring his own recreation of Abbott's bitters.

As of June 2010, Neyah is following his love of brown spirits to become the West Coast Brand Ambassador for Yamazaki Single Malts.

Daniel Shoemaker

We knew we were in the right place the moment "house-made dry vermouth" passed his lips, but when it was followed by "and our take on Amer Picon" the deal was clinched. Our kind of bartender.

Daniel Shoemaker is a devotee of fine drink creation and understands the role that the flavor profile of the ingredients of the time play in forming the intended mood of a given cocktail. To achieve - or recreate - that particular effect, he chooses his ingredients with care, making his own as needed. On our visit to his bar in July 2008 we sampled house versions of orgeat, Amer Picon, falernum, dry vermouth, and Kina Lillet, as well as various bitters & tinctures.

A migrant to Portland from San Francisco, he is bringing his devotion to quality ingredients and classic experiences to the Pearl District in the carefully designed bar he founded with Ted Charak in 2007, the Teardrop Cocktail Lounge.

We also had the pleasure of Daniel's company at Tales of the Cocktail shortly after our visit, and, though we missed the thrilling competition, we were unsurprised to hear of his victory in Jeffery Morganthaler's first annual Swag Off, with his drink, the "Seat of the Pants". Video footage may be enjoyed in this episode of the Liquid Muse's Tales of the Cocktail report starting at the 3:44 mark.