Mysterious drink abbreviations: p.g.s, g.g.a.r.

[AAllan at AOL.COM]

The greatest of all explanations of the greatest of all American terms (O.K.)
is Allen Walker Read's series of 5 articles in American Speech, Feb. 1963
through Dec. 1964. His first, "The First Stage in the History of 'O.K.," in
Feb. 1963 cites page after page of the fad for abbreviations in Boston
newspapers of 1838 and 1839. Most abbreviations are explained by the original
writers or by Read, but he has a couple of abbreviations of the names of
drinks that he cannot decipher. Now that Barry Popik and others have posted
so much information on beverage names, maybe these riddles can be resolved.

First, a few that he does know:

g.c. gin cocktail
m.j. mint julep
i.b.p. iced brandy punch
w.b. wine bitters
b.c. brandy cobbler

But:
"The Drab Beaver and tye Younger imbibed a g.c. each, and I took a p.g.s."
Boston Morning Post, June 18, 1838
AWR notes: "The p.g.s. eludes me. The g.s. is likely to be 'gin sling,' but
what is the p.? A tempting suggestion is 'pink gin sling,' but pink is
unlikely, for that color name in its present sence was barely coming into the
language at that time. . . ."

"As Tom was going into the Tremont, he hailed him, and insisted upon a
g.g.a.r; and Williamson could only pacify him, by promising to meet him in
the pit in half an hour." Boston Morning Post, June 20, 1838
"they do not often allow you to drink alone. It was sympathy that prompted in
this instance, (g.g.a.r.) and we all nodded to each other as we 'tossed off'
our glasses."
"I must insist on my party of 'our first men;' we can take a 'Quaker' before
we start--apply a 'Ding Bat' at Providence, reach the half-way house on the
Stonington Railroad with a 'P.W.S. Garee,' [port wine sangaree] and when we
arrive at our destination, finishing the 'evening services' with a 'g.g.a.r.'"
AWR notes: "The g.g.a.r. eludes me."

- Allan Metcalf