1900 Harry Johnsons Bartenders Manual (Mixellany)

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them and fix them up, properly, so they would give satisfaction to the customers. Those days have passed, and the present method is much more convenient, the goods now manufactured and distilled being much more uniform and giving better satisfaction. One ordering goods from a distillery now can have his own blend, as he orders, according to the desires and tastes of his customers, and also the proper proof of all his whiskeys, as all these will be properly and satisfactorily distilled and blended without any fur- ther trouble to the proprietor. Whiskeys, as a rule, are now sold at an average of from 93 to 95 proof . This varies, of course, to some extent, and what is re- quired all depends on the class of trade that the pro- prietor has. As far as imported goods, gins, rums, brandies, etc., are concerned, they all, more or less, come over-proof , and therefore it is advisable to reduce them to about 100, for by selling it over-proof , the proprietor would not be able to have returned the amount of money invested. It is difficult, anyway, to make a profit on imported goods. In buying bonded (or imported) goods, it is well for the purchaser to select, of course, a first-class firm who handles the best grade of liquors, always being sure to get an order from the importers on their bonded warehouse, to have the goods delivered to you. By this means you know the liquors have not been adulter- ated, as is possibly the case when they have been re- moved first to the cellars or warehouse of the importer. When it requires a reduction of the imported liquors, as they come generally from 12 to 15 over-proof , the proper amount of water required for this reduction will be one pint to a gallon of the liquor, in order to bring the proof from 115 to 100, the usual retail sale proof of imported liquors. They are generally drank stronger than the domestic goods, because they are still