Preliminary Hints And Observations

When your still is a limbec, fill the top with cold water when you set it on, make a little paste of flour and water, and close the bottom of the still well with it. Take great care that your fire be not so hot as to make it boil over, as that will weaken the strength of the water. You must frequently change your water on the top of your still, and never let it be scalding hot, for your still will drop gradually off. If you use a hot Still, when you put on the top, dip a cloth in white lead and oil, and lay it well over the edges of your still, and a coarse wet cloth over the top. It will require little fire under it; but you must be sure to keep it very clear. When your cloth is dry, dip it in cold water, and lay it on again ; and if your still be very hot, wet another cloth, and lay it round the top. If you use a worm-still, keep the water in your tub full to the top, and change it often, to prevent its growing hot. All simple waters must stand two or three days before you work it, in order to take off the fiery taste which the still gives it.

Parfetto Amove

Infuse in a gallon of best brandy the rind, pared thin, of six large fresh lemons cut in small pieces; five cloves, five coriander seeds, a handful of currants, a little cinnamon, and a little salt; let them remain in steep twelve hours; put together into the still, and draw off two quarts. Take two pounds of lump sugar, boiled and clarified in two quarts of water with three eggs; take also a little alum and cream of tartar, mix together with a little boiling water, and rub well down in a marble mortar; strain through a sieve, and add to the clarified syrup: mix the distilled spirit with the whole, and filter through blotting paper.

Pcrsico

Infuse in a gallon of the best brandy, six ounces of bitter almonds beaten in a mortar, two cloves, half an ounce of cinnamon, and a little salt; let them steep twenty-four hours.

Put into a still, and draw off two quarts; boil two pounds of lump sugar in two quarts of water, skimming it, and when cool, add it to the spirit.

Cornelia

Infuse in a gallon of best brandy four ounces of best cinnamon, thirteen coriander seeds, thirty cloves, and a little salt, for eighteen hours: put into a still, and draw off till the faints rise. Take two pounds of lump sugar, boiled and clarified in five pints of water, with three whites of eggs well beaten: mix with the spirit, and filter through blotting paper.

Geroufle

Is made with cloves instead of cinnamon, adding one ounce of best cinnamon to it,

Anniseed Is made like cloves, adding cinnamon to the palate.

Coffee And Chocolate

Are made by taking one pound of either, infusing in a gallon of best brandy, with four cloves, and half an ounce of cinnamon : draw off two quarts, and sweeten to the palate.

Cordial Water

Take wormwood, horehound, feverfew, and lavender cotton, of each three handsful ; rue, peppermint, and Seville orange peel, of each a handful. Steep them in red wine, or the bottoms of strong beer, all night. Then distil them pretty quick in a hot still, and it will be a fine cordial to take as bitters.