Part 6

To every gallon of water put three and one-half pounds of honey, and boil them together three-quarters of an hour. Then to every gallon of liquor put about two dozen of walnut leaves; pour boiling liquor upon them and let stand all night. Then take out the leaves and put in a spoonful of yeast, and let it stand for two or three days. Then make it up, and after it has stood for three months, bottle it.

WHORTLEBERRY OR BILBERRY WINE

Take one and one-half gallons of cold soft water, one and one-half gallons cider, two gallons berries. Ferment. Mix five pounds sugar, four-fifths ounce tartar in fine powder; add four-fifths ounce ginger in powder, one-half handful lavender and rosemary leaves, one and two-thirds pints British spirits.

BRANDIES

APPLE BRANDY

Take seven gallons of water and boil one-half, putting the other into a barrel; add the boiling water to the cold, with one-half gallon of molasses and a little yeast. Keep the bung-hole open until fermentation ceases.

OLD APPLE BRANDY

One gallon of neutral spirits, one-half cup of decoction of tea, one and one-half pints of alcoholic solution of starch, one-eighth ounce of sulphuric acid. This is flavored with one-fourth ounce of the oil of apples. Color with one ounce of sugar coloring.

BLACKBERRY BRANDY

One-quarter pound essence of blackberry, one quart blackberry juice, one-quarter pound of gum arabic, one small barrel pure spirits.

CARAWAY BRANDY

Steep one ounce of caraway-seed and six ounces of loaf sugar with one quart of brandy. Let it stand nine days and then draw off.

BLACK CHERRY BRANDY

Stone two pounds of black cherries and put on them one quart of brandy. Bruise the stones in a mortar, and then add them to the brandy. Cover them close and let them stand a month or six weeks. Then pour it clear from the sediment and bottle it. Morello cherries, managed in this way, make a fine cordial.

CHERRY BRANDY, NO. 1

For this purpose use either morello cherries or small black cherries. Pick them from the stalks; fill the bottles nearly up to the necks, then fill up with brandy (some people use whiskey, gin, or spirit distilled from the lees of the wine). In three weeks or a month strain off the spirit; to each quart add one pound of loaf sugar clarified, and flavor with tincture of cinnamon or cloves.

CHERRY BRANDY, NO. 2

One of the best and most common ways of making cherry brandy is to put the cherries (being first clean picked from the stalks) into a vessel till it be about half-full; then fill up with rectified molasses brandy, which is generally used for this compound, and when they have been infused sixteen or eighteen days, draw off the liquor by degrees, as wanted. When drawn off, fill the vessel a second time nearly to the top, let it stand about a month, and then draw it off as there is occasion. The same cherries may be used a third time by covering them with overproof brandy and letting it infuse for six or seven weeks. When drawn off for use, as much water must be added as the brandy was overproof, and the cherries must be afterward pressed as long as any liquor remains in them before being cast away. When drawn off the second time, the liquor will be somewhat inferior to the first, when more sugar, with a very little cinnamon and cloves beaten, may be added.

CHERRY BRANDY, NO. 3

To every five gallons of brandy made by the recipe for French brandy add one and one-half quarts of wild black cherries, stones and all bruised, one pound of crushed sugar. Let it stand for one week, then draw or rack it off as it is wanted for use.

2. Two gallons good whiskey, one quart wild black berries, well bruised with stones broken, one pound common almonds, shelled, one-tenth ounce white sugar, one-tenth ounce cinnamon, one-tenth ounce cloves, one-tenth ounce nutmeg, well bruised. Mix, and let them stand twelve days, and draw off. This, with the addition of two gallons brandy, makes most superior cherry brandy.

CHERRY BRANDY, NO. 4

To every four quarts of brandy put four pounds of red cherries, two pounds of black, one quart of raspberries, with a few cloves, a stick of cinnamon, and a little orange peel. Let these stand a month close stopped; then bottle it off, putting a lump of sugar into every bottle.

CHERRY BRANDY, NO. 5

Take twelve pounds of cherries, half red and half black, mash or squeeze them to pieces with the hands, and add to them two quarts of brandy, letting them steep for twenty-four hours. Then put the mashed cherries and liquor into a canvas bag, a little at a time, and press it as long as it will run. Sweeten it with loaf sugar and let it stand a month; then bottle it off, putting a lump of sugar in every bottle.

LEMON BRANDY

Put two and one-half quarts of water in one-half gallon of brandy. Take one dozen of lemons, one pound of the best sugar, and one and one-half pints of milk. Pare the lemons very thin, and lay the peel to steep in the brandy twelve hours. Squeeze the lemons upon the sugar, then put the water to it, and mix all the ingredients together. Boil the milk and pour it in boiling. Let it stand twenty-four hours and then strain it.

ORANGE BRANDY

Put the chips of six Seville oranges in one quart of brandy, and let them steep a fortnight in a stone bottle close stopped. Boil two and two-thirds pints of spring water with eight ounces of the finest sugar, nearly an hour, very gently. Clarify the water and sugar with the white of an egg; then strain it through a jelly-bag, and boil it nearly half-away. When it is cold, strain the brandy into the syrup.

POPPY BRANDY

Take six quarts of the best and freshest poppies, cut off the black ends, put them in a glass jar that will hold two gallons, and press them in it, then pour over a gallon of brandy. Tightly cover the glass jar and set it in the sun for a week or more, then squeeze out the poppies with your hand, and sweeten the liquor to taste, adding an ounce and a half of alkermes. Mix it well and bottle it up.

RASPBERRY BRANDY

Raspberry brandy is infused nearly after the same manner as cherry brandy, and drawn off with about the same addition of brandy to what is drawn off from the first, second, and third infusion, and dulcified accordingly, first making it of a bright deep color, omitting cinnamon and cloves in the first, but not in the second and third infusion. The second infusion will be somewhat paler than the first, and must be lightened in color by adding one pint cherry brandy, with five or more gallons of raspberry brandy, and the third infusion will require more cherry brandy to color it. It may be flavored with the juice of elderberry.

RASPBERRY BRANDY, NO. 2

Take a pint of water and two quarts of brandy, and put them into a pitcher large enough to hold them and four pints of raspberries. Put in one-half pound of loaf sugar, and let it remain for a week close covered. Then take a piece of flannel with a piece of holland over it, and let it run through by degrees. It may be racked into other bottles a week after, and then it will be perfectly fine.

RASPBERRY BRANDY, NO. 3

Scald the fruit in a stone jar set in a kettle of water, or on a hot hearth. When the juice will run freely, strain it without pressing. To every quart of juice allow one pound of loaf sugar. Boil it up and skim; when quite clear pour out, and when cold add an equal quantity of brandy. Shake them well together and bottle.

CORDIALS

CORDIALS

To filter cordials, cover the bottom of a sieve with clean blotting-paper. Pour the liquor into it (having set a vessel underneath to receive it), and let drip through the paper and through the sieve. Renew the paper frequently and fasten it down with pins. This process is slow, but makes the liquor beautifully clear.

TO MAKE ANISE-SEED CORDIAL

Take one-half pound bruised anise-seed, three gallons proof spirit, one quart of water. Draw off two gallons, with a moderate fire. This water should never be reduced below proof, because the large quantity of oil with which it is impregnated will render it milky and foul when brought down below proof. But if there is a necessity for doing this the transparency may be restored by filtration.

BLACKBERRY CORDIAL

Mash and strain the berries through sieve. To one gallon of juice put one pound of sugar. Boil and add one tablespoon of allspice, one tablespoon of cloves. Cook till thick. When nearly cold add one quart of whiskey or brandy. Bottle and seal.

BLACKBERRY CORDIAL, NO. 2

To one gallon of blackberry juice add four pounds of white sugar; boil and skim off. Then add one ounce of cloves, one ounce of cinnamon, ten grated nutmegs, and boil down till quite rich. Then let it cool and settle. Afterward drain off, and add one pint of good brandy or whiskey.

CARAWAY CORDIAL

Take one teaspoonful of oil of caraway, four drops of cassia-lignea oil, one drop of essence of orange peel, one drop of essence of lemon, five quarts and a gill of spirits, one and three-fourths pounds of loaf sugar. Make it up and fine it down.

CARAWAY CORDIAL, NO. 2

Take one gallon fifty per cent. spirit, one-eighth ounce oil of caraway, which you dissolve in ninety-five per cent. spirit, one pound sugar, one pound water. Dissolve your sugar in the water; mix, stir, and filter.

CEDRAT CORDIAL

The cedrat is a species of citron, and very highly esteemed in Italy, where it grows naturally. The fruit is difficult to be procured in this country, but as the essential oil is often imported from Italy, it may be made as follows: Take two ounces of the finest loaf sugar, powdered. Put it into a glass mortar, with sixty drops of the essence of cedrat; rub them together with a glass pestle, and put them into a glass alembic with two quarts of fine proof spirit and one pint of water. Place the alembic in a bath, heat and draw off one-half gallon, or till the feints begin to rise; then dulcify with fine sugar.

This is considered the finest cordial yet known; it will therefore be necessary to be particularly careful that the spirit is perfectly clean, and as much as possible free from any flavor of its own.

CINNAMON CORDIAL

This is seldom made with cinnamon, but with either the essential oil or bark of cassia. It is preferred colored, and therefore may be well prepared by simple fermentation. If the oil be used, one dram will be found enough for two or three gallons of spirit. The addition of two or three drops each of essence of lemon and orange peel, with about a spoonful of essence of cardamoms to each gallon, will improve it. Some persons add to the above quantity one dram of cardamom seeds and one ounce each of dried orange and lemon peel. One ounce of oil of cassia is considered to be equal to eight pounds of the buds or bark. If wanted dark, it may be colored with burnt sugar. The quantity of sugar is one and one-half pounds to the gallon.

STRONG CINNAMON CORDIAL

Take one pound of fine cinnamon bruised, two gallons of clear rectified spirit, and one pint of water. Put them into the still, and digest them twenty-four hours with a gentle heat, after which draw off by a pretty strong heat.

CITRON CORDIAL

Take six ounces of dry yellow rinds of citrons, two ounces of orange peel, one and one-half ounces bruised nutmegs, five quarts of proof spirit, one pint water. Digest with a gentle heat, then draw off ten gallons in a bath; heat, and dulcify with fine sugar.

CITRON CORDIAL, NO. 2

One-half pound yellow rind of citrons, two ounces orange peel, one-third ounce bruised nutmegs, two and one-sixth gallons proof spirit; distill or macerate, add water sufficient, and one-half pound of fine lump sugar for every gallon of the cordial.

CLOVE CORDIAL

Take one-quarter of a pound of cloves, bruised, one ounce pimento, or allspice, two gallons proof spirit. Digest the mixture twelve hours in a gentle heat, and then draw off with a pretty brisk fire. The water may be colored red, either by strong tincture of cochineal, alkanet, or corn poppy-flowers. It may be dulcified at pleasure with refined sugar.

CLOVE CORDIAL, NO. 2

One-quarter ounce bruised cloves, or one-quarter dram essential oil, to every gallon of proof spirit. If distilled, it should be drawn over with a pretty quick fire. It is preferred of a very deep color, and is therefore strongly colored with poppy-flowers or cochineal, or more commonly with brandy coloring, or red sanders wood. It should have three pounds of sugar to the gallon, and this need not be very fine. The addition of one-quarter dram of bruised pimento, or two drops of the oil for every ounce of cloves, improves this cordial.

CORIANDER CORDIAL

One-third pound coriander seeds, one-third ounce of caraways, and the peel and juice of one-half orange to every gallon of proof spirit.

GINGER CORDIAL

Pick one pound of large white currants from their stalks, lay them in a basin, and strew over them the rind of an orange and a lemon cut very thin, or one-half teaspoonful of essence of lemon, and one ounce and one-half of the best ground ginger, and one quart of good whiskey. Let all lie for twenty-four hours. If it taste strong of the ginger, then strain it; if not, let it lie for twelve hours longer. To every quart of strained juice add one pound of loaf sugar pounded. When the sugar is quite dissolved, and the liquor appears clear, bottle it. This cordial is also extremely good made with raspberries instead of currants.

GOLD CORDIAL

Take one pound of the roots of angelica, sliced, two ounces caraway seeds, two ounces cinnamon, a few cloves, one-quarter pound figs sliced, one-quarter pound licorice root sliced, two and three-quarters gallons proof spirit, one-half gallon water. Digest two days and draw off by a gentle heat till the feints begin to rise; hanging in a piece of linen, fastened to the mouth of the worm one-quarter ounce of English saffron. Then dissolve two pounds of sugar in one and one-half pints of rose-water, and add to it the distilled liquor. The above cordial derives its name from a quantity of leaf gold being formerly added to it, but this is now generally disused.

LEMON CORDIAL, NO. 1

Pare off very thin the yellow rind of some fine lemons. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. To each pint of the juice allow one-half pound of loaf sugar. Mix the juice, the peel, and the sugar together. Cover it and let it set twenty-four hours. Then mix it with an equal quantity of white brandy. Put it into a jug, and let it set a month. Then strain through a linen bag and afterward through blotting-paper before you bottle it.

LEMON CORDIAL, NO. 2

Take one pound of dried lemon peel, two and one-quarter gallons proof spirit, one quart water. Draw off two gallons by a gentle fire, and dulcify with fine sugar.

LIME JUICE CORDIAL

Lime juice cordial that will keep good for any length of time may be made as follows: six pounds sugar, four pints water, four ounces citric acid, one-half ounce boric acid. Dissolve by the aid of a gentle heat, and when cold add sixty ounces refined lime juice, four ounces tincture of lemon peel, water to make up two gallons.

LOVAGE CORDIAL

Take two-thirds ounce of the fresh roots of lovage, two-thirds ounce of valerian, two-thirds ounce of celery, two-thirds ounce of sweet fennel, one-sixth ounce of essential oil of caraway, one-sixth ounce of savin, two-thirds of a cup spirit of wine, two gallons proof spirit, two pounds of loaf sugar. Steep the roots and seeds in the spirits for fourteen days; then dissolve the oils in the spirit of wine, and add them to the undulcified cordial drawn off from the other ingredients. Dissolve the sugar in the water for making, and fine, if necessary, with alum.

NOYAU CORDIAL

Blanch and pound very fine two pounds of the best bitter almonds and one-half pound of sweet almonds. Add the thinly pared rind of two lemons, three tablespoonfuls of boiled milk which has become cold. Put all together into a jar, and add two quarts of old whiskey. Cork up the jar, and let it stand for six weeks, shaking the jar every day. At the end of that time strain the liquor, and to every quart of the liquor add three pints of clarified syrup, and filter through blotting-paper. The almonds that are strained from the liquor make a nice flavoring for puddings, by putting them into a wide-mouthed bottle and pouring whiskey over them.

ORANGE CORDIAL

Take five pounds of the yellow part of fresh orange peel, ten and one-half gallons of proof spirit, two gallons of water. Draw off ten gallons, with a gentle fire.

PEPPERMINT CORDIAL, NO. 1

Take one gallon and a gill of rectified spirits, one pound of loaf sugar, one tablespoonful of wine, oil of peppermint to taste, water, as much as will fill the cask, which should be set upon end after the whole has been well roused, and a cock for drawing off placed in it.

PEPPERMINT CORDIAL, NO. 2

One gallon of rectified spirits, one in five under hydrometer proof, one pound of loaf sugar, one tablespoonful of spirits of wine, one and one-third pennyweights of oil of peppermint, and as much water as will fill up the cask, which should be set on end.

QUINCE CORDIAL

Pare your quinces, and scrape them to the core. Put all the scrapings into a tureen, and see that there are no seeds among them. Let the scrapings remain covered in the tureen for two days; then put them into a linen bag and squeeze out all the juice. Measure it and mix it with an equal quantity of white brandy. To each pint of the mixture add one-half pound of loaf sugar and a little cinnamon and cloves. Put it into a jug and let it infuse for two months. Drain it through blotting-paper and then bottle it. This cordial improves with age and is excellent.

ROSE CORDIAL

Take one pound of the leaves of full-blown red roses. Put them into one quart of luke-warm water, and let them infuse for two days in a covered vessel. Then squeeze them through a linen bag, to press out all the liquid, and take as much white brandy as you have of the decoction of roses. To one pint of the infusion add one-half pound of loaf sugar, and a very small quantity of coriander and cinnamon. Put in a jug and let it set for two weeks, then filter it through blotting-paper, and put it into bottles.

RASPBERRY CORDIAL

Take one quart of raspberry juice and one-half pint of cherry juice, the fruit having been squeezed through a linen bag after the cherries have been stoned. Mix the juices together, and dissolve in them two pounds of loaf sugar. Then add two quarts of French brandy. Put it into a jug and let it stand five weeks. Afterward strain it and bottle for use.

STRAWBERRY OR RASPBERRY CORDIAL

Sugar down the berries overnight, using more sugar than you would for the table, about half as much again. In the morning lay them in a hair sieve over the basin; let them remain until evening, so as to thoroughly drain. Then put the juice in a thick flannel bag; let it drain all night, being careful not to squeeze it, as that takes out the brightness and clearness. All this should be done in a cool cellar, or it will be apt to sour. Add brandy in the proportion of one-third the quantity of juice, and as much more sugar as the taste demands. Bottle it tightly. It will keep six or eight years, and is better at last than at first.

WHISKEY CORDIAL

Take one ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of ginger, one ounce of coriander seed, one-half ounce of mace, one-half ounce of cloves, one-half ounce of cubebs. Add three gallons of proof spirit and two and one-half quarts of water, and distill. Now tie up one and one-third ounces of English saffron, one pound of raisins (stoned), one pound dates, three ounces licorice root. Let these stand twelve hours in two and one-half quarts of water; strain, and add it to the above. Dulcify the whole with fine sugar.

LIQUEURS

ANISETTE DE BOURDEAUX

Take nine ounces sugar, six drops aniseed. Rub them together, and add, by degrees, two pints spirits of wine, four pints water. Filter.

CRÊME DES BARBADOES

Take one dozen middling sized lemons, three large citrons, fourteen pounds loaf sugar, one-quarter pound fresh balm leaves, five quarts spirits of wine, seven quarts of water. Cut lemons and citrons in thin slices and put them into a cask, pour upon them the spirit of wine, bung down close, and let it stand ten days or a fortnight; then break the sugar, and boil it for one-half hour in the water, skimming it frequently. Then chop the balm leaves, put them into a large pan, and pour upon them the boiling liquor, and let it stand till quite cold; then strain it through a lawn sieve, and put it to the spirits, etc., in the cask. Bung down close, and in a fortnight draw it off. Strain it through a jelly-bag and let remain to fine; then bottle it.

CRÊME DE NOYAU DE MARTINIQUE

Take twenty pounds of loaf sugar, three gallons of spirit of wine, three pints of orange-flower water, one and one-quarter pounds of bitter almonds, two drams of essence of lemon, four and one-half gallons of water. The produce will exceed eight gallons. Put two pounds of the loaf sugar into a jug or can, pour upon it the essence of lemon, and one quart of the spirit of wine. Stir till the sugar is dissolved, and the essence completely incorporated. Bruise the almonds and put them into a four-gallon stone bottle or cask, add the remainder of the spirit of wine, and the mixture from the jug or can. Let it stand a week or ten days, shaking it frequently. Then add the remainder of the sugar, and boil it in the four and one-half gallons of water for three-quarters of an hour, taking off the scum as it rises. When cold, put it in a cask; add the spirit, almonds, etc., from the stone bottle, and lastly the orange-water. Bung it down close and let it stand three weeks or a month; then strain it off in a jelly-bag, and when fine, bottle it off. When the pink is wanted, add cochineal, in powder, at the rate of one-half dram or two scruples to one quart.

CRÊME D’ORANGE OF SUPERIOR FLAVOR