1939 The Gentleman's Companion volume II Beeing an Exotic Drinking Book

THE EXOTIC DRINKING BOOK

spices and all into a large earthenware crock. . . . Float a piece of toast spread with a cake of yeast. Strain it into a clean scalded cask. After three months take out the spice bag, rack off and bottle it. In six weeks, then, our Englishman recommends to start sampling. PERRY, BEING CONCEIVED from the JmcE of PEARS, and ONE of the MosT ANCIENT & DELICATE of THEM ALL, an ENGLISH RECEIPT of 1817 Perry is pear cider, and one of the early European drinks. It makes a delicate and delicious beverage, especially in summer when refresh– ing tastes are a help to fight humidity and other complaints follow– ing hot weather. Pears should be sweet, and just under-ripe when picked for perry. If too sweet and ripe, and not astringent at the start, they will develop too much vinegar taste when juice is matured into full age. Grind up pears exactly like apples, and press out juice. The fer– mentation is the same as cider, except there is no great amount of scum, and for this reason it is hard to tell just when fermentation ceases-a point coincidental with the stronger variety of this drink. . . . Just before fermentation stops in perry, drawit off from the main part of the lees, or dregs. Scald out the lees. ~ut it back into the tub or crock again until the fermentation is done-about the same as cider. Put it in kegs, and bottle it next spring-if there is any left at that late date! A FEW TIMELY KERNELS of ADVICE for THOSE THREATENED with IMMINENT DEPARTURE for the BARS; or HAVING ARRIVED, HAVE, through this CRISIS or that, BECOME FACED with ANY of DIVERs EMER– GENCIES We have already lightly rrwntioned that plenary intoxication is contrary to lasting solvency, happiness-either during the final stages of becoming swacked, or on the morn after. The dividing line, how- ever, between quitting a brightly pleasant stimulation and this sad 1 I estate is actually finer than we know; and until we find a proven way . 169.