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.