1868 The complete Practical Distiller

13b

SPIRIT OF CUERRIES.

KIRSCn-WASSEK, OR THE SPIRITS OF CHERRIES.

There is a kind of spirits, prepared from cherries, knowu by the name of kirsch'icasscr. The name comes from the German, and is composed of two words signify- ing "water of cherries.-' This liquor is made to the greatest extent in Switzerland and Germany, where cherry-trees are very common ; that consumed in France comes from the neighbourhood of the Foret ybire. The way of preparing the worts is as follows : — In the month of July or August, when cherries have arrived at matu- rity, no trouble is taken to pick them, and they are brought down by means of poles, which is decidedly a bad practice, because it damages the trees ; and the cher- ries, leaves, and small branches all fall down together, which, gathered by children, are deposited in a trough, without any precaution, so that the spoiled and good ones are all mixed together. This trough represent-s a cylin- der more wide than deep, and yielding according to the extent of the fabrication. It is placed above the fermenting-back on two girders, which rest on the borders of the back, and are joined to- gether by two cross-pieces of the same thickness. This trough being half or three-quarters full, men, women, and even children place themselves around it, and pro- ceed to the pressing of the cherries with their hands, so as to set the juice at liberty. This cannot be done per- f'Hitly, as it may well be supposed, by stpeezing the cher- 12