1892 Drinks of the world

DRINI^S.

151

flavours, which may

for the implanting of artificial

of sham whiskey, sham brandy, or sham

be those

rum.

*' The presence of grain ethers is the condition of the genuineness of whiskey. Silent spirit, on the other hand, undergoes no change by keeping, and must be flavoured to become drinkable. For that purpose it is either made smoky, to become like Scotch, or it is mixed with Irish pot whiskey, to become like Irish whiskey." There is yet another and a newer way of altering whiskey, which was shown in the Brewers' Exhibition at Islington, October, 1890, and described in an advertisement in a morning paper as ** A Transforma- tion Scene ; no Pantomime." This new process of maturing spirits is by subjecting them to the action of compressed air confined in a close chamber. No- thing but atmospheric air is used, which is filtered through pure water before being compressed. The air chamber shown was a cylindrical vessel, which, in practice, would be some twelve feet high or more. It is supplied with a finely perforated floor, at a bonveni= ent distance below the top, and it has, besides, one or two lower floors of metallic gauze. The cylinder is charged with the liquor to be treated, and the com- pressed air is then let into it. The taps having been closed on the completion of this operation, a rotary pump keeps the liquor in continuous circulation as it passes through the floors in the form of a fine shower. As soon as it reaches the gauze floor it breaks up into spra3fj and, in this minute state of sub-division, it is