Size Didn’t Matter, Auntie Mame Was Still Hung

FOR TOO LONG, COCKTAILS have been too big. A benchmark is the Martini: Consider the prewar versions favored by Mame Dennis, the chic Manhattanite of “Auntie Mame.” We’re told in the 1958 movie version that she abjures an olive garnish because it takes up too much room in such a little glass — which, in that era, might have measured anywhere between 2 and 4 ounces. By contrast, in modern glasses of 8 or 10 ounces (or more), there’s so much space that three overstuffed olives have become the norm.

Trust us, Wall Street Journal: there’s not a thing about Mame we haven’t considered.