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ISSN 0856-9135; No. 00247 |
ON THE WEB |
November 23 - 29, 2002 |
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Substitutes are Like a Tail Chasing PupBy lute wa lutengano When I first set foot in this northern Tanzania town, that is way back in the mid 80s, my favourite drinking joints were the Copper bar at the historical New Safari Hotel and The Tavern at the panoramic New Arusha Hotel. The Copper Bar had a set up based on a theme of the famous John Wyne film, Hatari. It so happens that the famous film star once stayed at the Safari Hotel when making that movie. The Tavern, located on the basement overlooking the beautiful gardens, used to celebrate the old Arusha socialites. This you could tell by the names inscribed on the beer mugs hanging behind the bar man. They were a "who is who" list of the colonial and early independence history of Arusha. By the time I arrived in Arusha the two bars were catering for different classes of people. The Copper was popular with the town's young professionals while the Tavern was patronised by the elderly and rich. It goes without saying that comparatively more cocktails and hard stuff were consumed at The Tavern. That was when Tony came into the picture. He was The Tavern bar's cocktail wizard. Always pleasant and advising the client accordingly what poison was good for him or her when feeling or in that mood or the other. Surely, Tony was the soul of the bar. The Copper and The Tavern are no longer there. I am reliably informed though that a new pub, appropriately named Hatari is in the pipeline at the newly renovated New Arusha Hotel. I am told it will be a thematic bar, (based on the same Hatari film) and better organised than the Copper and The Tavern bars. But this is another story all together. What jolted my mind to remember the two popular bars was my encounter the other day with Mzee Tony Simon Mosha ? the same famous barman of The Tavern era. He is still a barman, now at the Hotel Equator restaurant bar. I found him reading an old and tiny dog-eared booklet, actually a 1965 edition called "Professional Mixing Guide." It is an 'accredited list of recognised and accepted standard formulas for mixed drinks.' It is published and distributed in the interest of standardization by "Angostura Bitters (Dr. J. G. B. Siegert & Sons Ltd) of Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies. The book's motto is "Trifles make for perfection ? and perfection is no trifle." And talking of perfection it adds poetically, "Substitutes are just like
"This is my bible," said Mzee Tony adding that he has been with the book since 1966. It was given to him by one George Dove of George Dove Safaris, a company, which had employed him as a clerk and barman first at Kimba Lodge in Ngorongoro and later at Ndutu Safari Lodge between 1966 and 1969. Following that stint Tony resigned and came back to Arusha town where two years later in 1971 New Arusha Hotels Ltd employed him. Mzee Tony, who was born in Kilema on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and reached 54 years on 2 October this year, is married (for the last 22 years) to Veneranda Lyimo with whom they have six children. The small booklet has more than 120 different types of cocktails ranging from "Angels Kiss," "Aviation Cocktail," "Between-the-Sheets Cocktail," to "Bull Frog." From "Crème de Menthe Frappe," "El Presidente," "Feathers Freezer," to "Hop Toad" and "Horses Neck." There are cocktails with names like "Kiss-me-Quick Highball," "Moscow Mule," "Serpent's Teeth," "Widows Kiss," "Zombie," and many others including the famous "Screwdriver." Now I know why Mzee Tony was always the perfect barman. The secret must lie inside that tiny booklet and the many years of experience. I wish him all the best in his profession. I hope young barmen in Arusha will pick a leaf from Tony's experience. |
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Last modified:
November 21, 2002. Webmaster: WDJMallya |
