With every post I write there is a trail that brought me to writing. I’m doing this one in reverse, like the high speed films going backwards in time. “Lemon phosphates with ammonia” says the husband, “Dad and I would go to the avenue (Hampden) and get lemon phosphates with ammonia.” “Customers would order cokes with ammonia at my parents' patent drug and luncheonette," The Hopkins Store at 31st and St. Paul streets I stated. "I would make them at the fountain,” I tell the husband. “I remember when a coddie and a coke were 11 cents.” All this stemmed from coddies we got at NEW Suburban House last night.
Cokes with ammonia
It was aromatic spirits of ammonia that was put in cokes. I sure made a number of them at the fountain but never tried it. These were fountain cokes; coke syrup and carbonated water dispensed separately into paper cones that were supported by metal holders. Ammonia cokes were said to calm an upset stomach, steel a case of bad nerves to all kinds of remedies. There is a good post already written here on the net - Art of Drink: Ammonia Coke – do pop a read.
Any of you ever drink an ammonia coke, did your grandparents tell you anything about ammonia cokes or lemon phosphates with ammonia? Did it do everything it was suppose to do? Fess up!
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Comments
We used to get Ammonia Cokes at this restaurant in Berkeley Springs, WV called The Pharmacy. It's been closed for several years now but we always enjoyed stopping there for a quick bite to eat & one of their special ammonia cokes. I am not sure if we really felt any special benefits from drinking it but it tasted interesting and was something fun to talk about.
The Peoples Drug Store in Martinsburg, WV had them as well. I remember walking across town as a kid in the 1960's to get one. I really don't remember what they tasted like but I know I loved them at the time.
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