1857 The Bordeaux wine and liquor dealers' guide

78

A TREATISE ON

In a week or a fortnight the

dissolved in water.

'

liquor will be clea.i:. A most convenient and easy way of manufactur– ing cordials, especially where it is wished to avoid keeping a large stock, is always to keep two casks of sweetened spirit ready prepared, at the strength of 60 or 64 u. p. The one should contain 1 lb. of sugar to the gallon, the other 3 lbs. per gallon. From these may be made spirit of any intermediate iiweet– ness, which may be fiavored with any essential oil dissolved in alcohol, or any aromatic spirit, prepared either by digestion or distillation. As a general rule, the concentrated essences may be made by dissolv– ing 1 oz. of the essential oil in 1 pint of the strongest rectified spirit ofwine. This solution should be kept in well-corked bottles, and used by dropping it cau– tiously into the sweetened spirit until the desired fiavor is produced. During this operation, the cor– dial should be frequently and violently shaken, to produce a perfect admixture. Should sufficient es– sence to foul the liquor be added by accident, the transparency may be restored by the addition of a little more spirit, or by clarification. The most frequent cause of failure in the manufac– ture of cordials is the addition of too muchflavoring. Persons unaccustomed to the use of strong aromatics and essential oils, seldom estimate power, and conse-

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