Brown Gargle

 

One of the most popular drinks of the era was coffee, also referred to as brown gargle. Coffee—or brown gargle—was every bit as popular as whiskey in the Old West. Maybe more so.

In 1863, Sharps Rifles had even manufactured a few trial carbines with a coffee grinder that had a removable handle built into the stock. (This may have been used for grinding more than just coffee.)

Arbuckles was considered the original cowboy coffee. Out on the trail, whether it was rounding up cattle or horse thieves, the cowboy needed that extra jolt of caffeine and a strong, aromatic cup of coffee provided it.

The Arbuckle brothers were the first to sell roasted beans in one-pound bags instead of selling it green, and in bulk, where the cowboys on the range would have to roast the beans in a skillet over an open fire. As an enticement, peppermint sticks were often included with the package.

On the trail drives the cooks kept the coffee flowing. If available water was too acidic, they would break an egg and add it to the pot. Some cooks added salt to reduce the bitterness. I add vanilla to my ground coffee. No doubt, the cowboys of old would have thought me quite the wimp. Keeper Tyree likes his coffee robust and full-bodied, just like he likes his women. 

 

KEEPER TYREE

Keeper Tyree is an aging bounty hunter who lives by his own set of rules. He’s a hard man, but he’s just, and his word is his bond. He’s a loner and likes it that way. Then Cathleen O’Donnell catapults into his life looking to hire his gun. Josiah Pardee has killed her boy, and she’s out for vengeance. Somehow all his hard and fast rules, including working alone and minding his own business, crumbles in the face of the immovable widow he now works for. He finds himself rescuing soiled doves, a myopic bookworm more suited to city life than the Wild West, and an hombre being dragged to death by angry cardplayers as he tracks down the murdering sidewinder Josiah Pardee. 

Available at Amazon. 

Sandra Cox