1922 Home-Made Beverages and American Drinks by M E Steedman

Home-made Beverages. 35 every pint of liquid and boil together for ten minutes,then strain,addawineglassful ofbrandy to every pint of syrup, and bottle when cold. English Champagne. Top and tail 3 gallons of unripe yellow goose berries, bruise them thoroughly, and put them in a tub. Pour over them 3 gallons of water, and let them stand for 2days,stirring frequently, then strain and press the pulp thoroughly to extract all the juice. Add 12 lb. of pure cane sugar, cover over and let it stand for three days more,stirring from time to time,then strain into a cask, add a pint and a half of good gin and half an ounce of isinglass dissolved in a little warm water. Bung loosely till the fermenta tion has ceased,then close the cask securely and let it stand for a year before bottling. Fig Syrup. Slice 3 lb. ripe sound figs and put them into a jar withthe thinly pared rindand strained juice of 3 lemons, and 3 pints of water. Place the jar in a pot of boiling water and boU for 3 hours, then strain through a jelly bag, add a pound of cane sugar to every pint and boil together for 10 minutes, skimming when necessary. Let it get cold, then store in airtight bottles. Four-Fruit Liqueur. Bruise 1 pound each of black currants and raspberries, and one and a half pounds each of strawberries and Morella cherries, and put them into a jar with half the cherry kernels, 4 quarts of good brandy and 3 lb. of crushed sugarcandy. Infuse for a month, keeping the jar tightly covered, then filter and bottle. Fruit Ratafia. Bruise f lb. each of raspberries and straw berries, three pounds of black cherries, strew over them 5 oz. of cane castor sugar and let them stand for 24 hours, then strain off all the juice, put it into a jar with 1 drachm of bruised cloves, 4 oz. crushed sugar candy, and a quart of good brandy, to every pint of juice. Infuse qr a fortnight, then strain through filtering' paper and store in airtight bottles.