Introduction To Liquors And Ratahas

The manufacture of these alcoholic beverages is done, firstly, by distillation, by which method the finest liquors are obtained; secondly, by extraction, and thirdly, by simply mixing volatile extracts of plants to cognac spirits, etc. They all contain larger or smaller quantities of dissolved sugar, and various aromatic or spicy ingredients.

Distillation is more complicated and troublesome than the two other methods, but it secures products of far higher fineness and value ; yet the requirement of the apparatus necessary for manufacturing them renders the application too difficult in a household ; furthermore, a profound knowledge of chemistry, great practice and dexterity are required ; therefore, this manufacturing is better left to large establishments. The best and most exquisite liquors of this kind are imported from Dantzic, Breslau, Berlin, Stettin, Hamburg, Mannheim, Vienna, Trieste, Amsterdam, Italy, Bordeaux, Paris, and the West Indies. The recipes to manufacture the most famous among them are mostly kept secret; moreover, the foreign ratafias may not easily be imitated because many of the herbs and fruits required for the purpose are not growing in this country.

To prepare good and very palatable liquors for the family use we put down a series of recipes, as verified by our own experience, and that of others. But we declare here candidly and freely, that it is absolutely impossible to obtain by extraction the same liquors as by distillation. The liquors won by infusing fruits or blossoms, or by mixing with fruit-juices are called ratafias; the fine French, very sweet, and, on account of this, more consistent liquors are called cremes or huiles (oils) : creme de vanille, creme de Barbados, creme de cafe, de canelle, de chocolat, hutile de rose, huile de Venus, de Jupiter, de Cythere, des demoiselles, etc.

228. Absinthe

A strong liquor made of vermouth; it is mainly drunk in France; it is said to strengthen the stomach. Swiss absinthe is the most renowned one.

Recipe: To four quarts of cognac spirits take eight ounces of anise, one ounce of star anise, four ounces of great and four ounces of small fennel, one ounce of coriander, one-fourth ounce of angelica root, one ounce of angel sweet root, half an ounce of licorice, half an ounce of calamus, half an ounce of bitter almonds, one ounce of great and one ounce of small leaves of vermouth, one-fourth ounce of peppermint leaves, half an ounce of camilles, one-fourth ounce of juniper; let all these ingredients distill from three to four weeks on a warm place, or in the sunlight; filter and fill into bottles.

229. Almonds' Essence

One and a half pounds of sweet and four ounces of bitter almonds are poured over with boiling water in a sieve; skin and dry them; grind them very fine by adding from one to one and a half pints of cold water.

Refine three pounds of sugar to what is called sucre a la plume, i.e., boil the sugar in water until the sugar, sticking to the wooden spoon can be blown off in bubbles of the size of a pea; add now the ground almonds; let all boil up once, and cool off well covered; press through a hair sieve, fill into small bottles, cork well, and keep them on a cool place.