Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a devil-may-care, selfish, drunken person.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue .
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc.
1832		in Egan Bk of Sports 192: Now Rounding’s is a House of Call — / Indeed! for ‘choice spirits!’ / And those who love bat and ball.
1874		‘A.P.’ [Arthur Pember] Mysteries and Miseries 262: [R]ound after round was served to the little party who hugged the fire. They were the ‘choice spirits’ among Mr. Casey’s patrons.