723. Raisin Wine With Sugar

To every gallon of soft water four pounds of fresh raisins: put them in a large tub; stir frequently, and keep it covered with a sack or blanket. In about a fortnight the fermentation will begin to subside: this may be known by the raisins remaining still. Then press the fruit and strain the liquor. Have ready a wine cask, perfectly dry and warm, allowing for each gallon one pound or one pound and a half Lisbon sugar; put this into the cask with the strained liquor: when half full, stir well the sugar and liquor, and put in half a pint of thick yeast; then fill up with the liquor, and continue to do so while the fermentation lasts, which will be a month or more. Proceed with brandy, etc, as in the foregoing articles.

724. Raisin Wine, In Imitation Of Frontignac

For every gallon of wine required, allow two pounds of raisins; boil them one hour in water; strain the boiling liquor on loaf-sugar, two pounds for every gallon; stir it well together: when cool put it in the cask with a moderate quantity of yeast (as last article). When the fermentation subsides, suspend in the cask a muslin bag containing elder flowers, in the proportion of a quart to three gallons of wine. When perfectly clear, draw off the wine into bottles.

725. Currant Or Gooseberry Wine Without Boiling

Suppose the cask to be filled is a kilderkin, to make it rich you should have fifty quarts of fruit, bruise it, and add to it half that quantity of water. Stir it well together, and let it stand twelve hours; then strain it through a coarse canvass bag or hair sieve to fifty-six pounds of good Lisbon sugar, and stir it well. Put the pulp of the fruit into a gallon more water; stir it about, and let it stand twelve hours. Then strain to the above, again stirring it; cover the tub with a sack. In a day or two the wine will begin to ferment. When the whole surface is covered with a thick yeasty froth, begin to skim it on to a sieve. What runs through may be returned to the wine. Do this from time to time for several days, till no more yeast forms. Then put it into the cask.

728. Birch Wine

The liquor of the birch tree is to be obtained in the month of March, when the sap begins to ascend. One foot from the ground bore a hole in each tree, large enough to admit a faucet, and set a vessel under; the liquor will run for two or three days without injuring the tree. Having obtained a sufficient quantity, stop the holes with pegs. To each gallon of liquor add a quart of honey, or two and a half pounds of sugar; boil together an hour, stirring it well; a few cloves may be added for flavour, or the rind of a lemon or two; and, by all means, two ounces of hops to nine gallons of wine. Work it with yeast; tun, and proceed as in former recipes: refine with isinglass. Two months after making, it may be drawn off and bottled; and in two months more will be fit for use, but will improve by keeping.

731. Cherry Brandy

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 wine.) In three weeks or a month strain off the spirit; to each quart add one pound of loaf-sugar clarified, and flavour with tincture of cinnamon or cloves.