Hot Chili Punch

A fountain hot drink, built in the mug rather than shaken. The name is misleading in two directions: there is no chili in it, and the "rum" and "brandy" are flavouring syrups, not spirits.

• Rum and brandy syrupFountain syrups of this era were sugar syrup flavoured with rum or brandy essence, sold by the gallon to soda dispensers and containing little or no alcohol. If you want the drink as intended, use a flavouring extract in simple syrup rather than the spirits themselves; ½ ounce of each is one tablespoon.
• A dashAt the fountain a dash was a small measure poured or dropped from a dash bottle, closer to a few drops than a splash. Peppermint here is almost certainly peppermint oil or extract, and it will dominate everything if you are generous with it; the ginger dash is likewise probably ginger extract or a heavy ginger syrup.
• The egg white is the hingePoured straight onto boiling water, a raw white sets into threads. Whisk or shake the white with the syrups and lemon juice first until frothy, then add the water in a slow stream while stirring so the protein disperses instead of coagulating.
• Egg safetyBoiling water added to a cold mug of syrup does not reliably bring an egg white to a safe temperature, and the white is the body of the drink rather than something cooked through. Use pasteurized whites, and skip it entirely for anyone pregnant, elderly, very young or immune-compromised.
• Mug sizeFountain hot mugs were small, on the order of a cup rather than a modern mug; the recipe does not specify, only 'fill mug'. Anything much larger and the flavouring is lost. It makes one serving.
• Spray of mintA sprig, floated on top. Slap it against your palm before it goes on so the oils lift into the steam, which is where most of the aroma of a hot drink actually comes from.
• LemonLemon size varies, and half a lemon is an elastic measure. Start with about a tablespoon of juice and taste before adding the rest, or the sweetness of the syrups will be cut too far.