1896 Fancy Drinks and Poplular Beverages by the only William (paper cover)

LIQUORS AND RATAFIAS.

286. No!!can. A very fine cordial; the genuine article comes from Marti– nique only, and is very rare and expensive; only small quanti– ties of it must be taken, as it is not harmless at all in spite of its unique taste. It is prepared from the pits of a fruit in the West Indies, and these pits contain a strong dose of hydrocyanic acid. The French prepare a number of very good imitations of the genuine noyeau. For those that are in possession of a distilling apparatus we add a very good French recipe : Half a pound of cut apricot-pits are infused in six quarts of rectified alcohol, and one quart of water, for a week; distil the alcohol, mix it with one pint of orange-flower water, and three pounds of sugar that is cleared and refined in three quarts of water, filter and fill into bottles; use it after a few months. 287.