Croton (cocktail), n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Croton (cocktail) n.

also Croton coffee

[the Croton Reservoir (now the site of the NY Public Library at 5th Ave. + 42nd St) + SE cocktail; the reservoir supplies the bulk of the city’s drinking water]

(US, N.Y.) water.

1843		Knickerbocker (N.Y.) XXII 94: Anon flooding his doors, windows and blinds with hissing streams of Croton [DA].
1882		Harper’s Mag. Apr. 721/2: Ogla-Moga looked at the innocent glass of Croton that was handed him with undisguised disdain [DA].
1908		N.Y. World 12 July in Fleming Unforgettable Season (1981) 122: Croton cocktails and cow juice is my limit.
1911		J. Lomax Cowboy Songs 159: It was old jerked beef, croton coffee, and sour bread. / Pease River’s as salty as hell fire, the water I could never go.