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

Take one dozen middling sized oranges, one and one-quarter pints orange-flower water, six pounds loaf sugar, two and two-thirds quarts spirit of wine, one-half ounce tincture of saffron, four and two-thirds quarts water. Cut the oranges in slices, put them in a cask, add the spirit and orange-flower water, let it stand a fortnight. Then boil the sugar in the water for one-half hour, pour it out, and let it stand till cold; then add it to the mixture in the cask, and put in the tincture of saffron. Let it remain a fortnight longer; then strain, and proceed as directed in the recipe for Crême de Barbadoes, and a very fine cordial will be produced.

EAU DE BARBADOES

Take one ounce of fresh orange peel, four ounces of fresh lemon peel, one dram coriander, four pints proof spirit. Distill in a bath heat, and add white sugar in powder.

EAU DE BIGARADE

Take the outer or yellow part of the peels of seven bigarades (a kind of orange), one-quarter ounce of nutmegs, one-eighth ounce of mace, one-half gallon of fine proof spirit, one quart of water. Digest all these together two days in a close vessel, after which draw off a gallon with a gentle fire, and dulcify with fine sugar.

EAU DEVINE

Take one-half gallon of spirit of wine, one-half dram essence of lemons and one-half dram essence of bergamot. Distill in a bath heat, add two pounds sugar, dissolved in one gallon of pure water, and lastly two and one-half ounces of orange-flower water.

ELEPHANT’S MILK

Take two ounces gum benzoin, one pint spirit of wine, two and one-half pints boiling water. When cold, strain and add one and one-half pounds sugar.

HUILE DE VENUS

Take six ounces of flowers of wild carrot, picked, ten pints spirit of wine. Distill in a bath heat. To the spirit add as much syrup of capillaire; it may be colored with cochineal.

LIGNODELLA

Take the thin peel of three oranges and three lemons; steep them in one-half gallon of brandy or rum, close stopped for two or three days. Then take three quarts of water and one and one-half pounds of loaf sugar clarified with the whites of two eggs. Let it boil one-quarter hour, then strain it through a fine sieve, and let it stand till cold; strain the brandy with the peels, add the juice of three oranges and five lemons to each gallon. Keep it close stopped up five weeks, then bottle it.

MARASCHINO

One gallon proof whiskey, two quarts of water, dissolve four pounds of sugar, one-third dram oil of bergamot, one-third dram oil of cloves, two drops oil of cinnamon, two-thirds ounce of nutmegs, bruised, five ounces of orange peel, one ounce of bitter almonds, bruised, one-third dram oil of lemon. Dissolve the oil in alcohol; color with cochineal and burnt sugar.

MARASQUIN DE GROSEILLES

Take eight and one-half pounds of gooseberries, quite ripe, one pound black cherry leaves. Bruise and ferment; distill and rectify the spirits. To each pint of this spirit add as much distilled water, and one pound of sugar.

NECTAR

Take three gallons of red ratafia, one-quarter ounce of cassia-oil, and an equal quantity of the oil of caraway seeds. Dissolve in a little spirit of wine, and make up with orange wine so as to fill up the jug. Sweeten, if wanted, by adding a small lump of sugar in the glass.

NOYAU

Take one and one-half gallons of French brandy, one in five, six ounces of the best French prunes, two ounces of celery, three ounces of the kernels of apricots, nectarines, and peaches, and one ounce of bitter almonds, all gently bruised, two pennyweights of essence of orange peel, two pennyweights of essence of lemon peel, one and one-half pounds of loaf sugar. Let the whole stand ten days or a fortnight. Then draw off, and add to the clear noyau as much rose-water as will make up to two gallons.

RATAFIA

This is a liquor prepared from different kinds of fruits, and is of different colors, according to the fruits made use of. These fruits should be gathered when in their greatest perfection, and the largest and most beautiful of them chosen for the purpose. The following is the method for making red ratafia, fine and soft: Take twelve pounds of the black-heart cherries, two pounds black cherries, one and one-half pounds raspberries, one and one-half pounds strawberries. Pick the fruit from their stalks, and bruise them, in which state let them continue twelve hours; then press out the juice, and to every pint of it add one-half pound of sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, run the whole through the filtering-bag, and add to it three pints of proof spirit. Then take two ounces of cinnamon, two ounces mace, one dram cloves. Bruise these spices, put them into an alembic with one-half gallon of proof spirit and one quart of water, and draw off a gallon with a brisk fire. Add as much of the spicy spirit to the red ratafia as will render it agreeable; about one-quarter is the usual proportion.

RATAFIA, NO. 2

Ratafia may be made with the juice of any fruit. Take six quarts cherry juice and two pounds sugar, which you dissolve in the juice. Steep in five quarts brandy ten days. One dram cinnamon, twelve cloves, eight ounces peach leaves, four ounces bruised cherry kernels. Filter, mix both liquids, and filter again.

RATAFIA, NO. 3

Take four ounces of nutmegs, five pounds of bitter almonds, nine pounds Lisbon sugar, five grains ambergris. Infuse these ingredients three days in five gallons of proof spirit, and filter it through a flannel bag for use. The nutmegs and bitter almonds must be bruised, and the ambergris rubbed with the Lisbon sugar in a marble mortar, before they are infused in the spirit.

RATAFIA D’ANGELIQUE

Take one-half dram of angelica seed, two ounces stalks of angelica, two ounces bitter almonds, blanched, six pints proof spirit, one pound white sugar. Digest, strain, and filter.

RATAFIA DE BRON DE NOIX

Take sixty young walnuts whose shells are not yet hardened, four pints brandy, twelve ounces sugar, fifteen grains mace, fifteen grains cinnamon, fifteen grains cloves. Digest for two or three months, press out the liquor, filter, and keep it for two or three years.

TO MAKE RATAFIA DE CAFÉ

Take one-half pound of roasted coffee, ground, two quarts proof spirit, ten ounces sugar. Digest for a week.

RATAFIA DE CASSIS

Take three pounds of ripe black currants, one-quarter dram cloves, one-quarter dram cinnamon, nine pints proof spirit, one and three-quarters pounds sugar. Digest for a fortnight.

RATAFIA DES CERISES

Take four pounds morello cherries, with their kernels bruised, four pints proof spirit. Digest for a month, strain with expression, and then add three-quarters pound of sugar.

RATAFIA DE CHOCOLAT

Take one pound Curacoa cocoanuts roasted, one-half pound West India cocoanuts, roasted, one gallon proof spirit. Digest for a fortnight, strain, and then add one and one-half pounds sugar, thirty drops tincture of vanilla.

DRY OR SHARP RATAFIA

Take fifteen pounds of cherries, fifteen pounds of gooseberries, three and one-half pounds mulberries, five pounds raspberries. Pick all these fruits clean from their stalks, etc., bruise them, and let them stand twelve hours, but do not suffer them to ferment. Press out the juice, and to every pint add three ounces of sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, run it through the filtering bag, and to every five pints of liquor add four pints of proof spirit, together with the same proportion of spirit drawn from spices.

RATAFIA DE GRENOBER

Take two pounds of small wild black cherries, with their kernels bruised, one gallon proof spirit. Digest for a month, strain, and add two pounds of sugar. A little citron peel may also be added at pleasure.

RATAFIA DE NOYAU

Take of peach or apricot kernels, with their shells bruised, in number one hundred and twenty, four pints proof spirit, ten ounces sugar. Some reduce the spirit of wine to proof with the juice of apricots or peaches, to make this liquor.

RATAFIA D’ECORCES D’ORANGES

Take two ounces of fresh peel of Seville oranges, one-half gallon proof spirit, one-half pound sugar. Digest for six hours.

RATAFIA DE THURO D’ORANGES

Take two pounds of fresh flowers of orange-tree, one gallon proof spirit, one and one-half pounds of sugar. Digest for six hours.

RATAFIA A LA VIOLETTE

Take two drams Florentine orris root, one ounce archel, four pints spirit of wine. Digest, strain, and add four pounds sugar.

USQUEBAUGH, NO. 1

Usquebaugh is a strong compound liquor, chiefly taken by the dram. It is made in the highest perfection at Drogheda, in Ireland. The following are the ingredients: Take two quarts of best brandy, one-half pound raisins, stoned, one-half ounce nutmegs, one-half ounce cardamoms, one-quarter ounce saffron, rind of one-half Seville orange, one-half pound brown sugar candy. Shake these well every day for at least fourteen days, and it will at the expiration of that time be ready to be fined for use.

USQUEBAUGH, NO. 2

Take one ounce of nutmegs, one ounce of cloves, one ounce of cinnamon, two ounces of the seed of anise, two ounces of the seed of caraway, two ounces of the seed of coriander, one-quarter pound of licorice root sliced. Bruise the seeds and spices, and put them together with the licorice, into the still with five and one-half gallons of proof spirit, and one gallon of water. Distill with a pretty brisk fire. As soon as the still begins to work to the nozzle of the worm, take one-quarter ounce of English saffron, tied up in a cloth that the liquor may run through it, and extract all its tincture. When the operation is finished, sweeten with fine sugar. This liquor may be much improved by the following additions: Digest two pounds of stoned raisins, one and one-half pounds of dates, one pound of sliced licorice root, in one gallon of water, for twelve hours. When the liquor is strained off, and has deposited all sediment, decant it gently into a vessel containing the usquebaugh.

THE END.