Harry Roberts

“There is no nation yet known in either hemisphere where the people of all conditions are more in want of some cordial to keep up their spirits than in this of ours.”—Swift.

THE following recipes are for the making of cordials by simple mixing without distillation. Nearly all require straining, and some may require to be filtered through filter-paper.

To make Angostura Bitters.—Digest for a month, in a covered vessel, a mixture of a gallon of rectified spirits, a gallon and a half of water, two ounces of orange-peel, an ounce and a quarter of angostura bark, three-quarters of an ounce each of alkanet root and red sanderswood, half an ounce of gentian root, two drams each of cardamoms, Turkey rhubarb, cinnamon, caraway, coriander, and wormwood, and fifteen grains of turmeric. Strain, and add a pound of honey. Filter, and bottle.

To make Balm of Molucca.—Digest for a month, in a covered vessel, a mixture of a gallon of rectified spirits, a gallon of water, an ounce of cloves, and two drams of mace. Filter, and add a gallon of syrup (containing eight pounds of sugar) and two quarts of water.

To make Brandy Shrub.—Digest for a month a mixture of a gallon of brandy, the peel of two oranges and a lemon, a pint each of orange juice and lemon juice, and five pints of syrup (containing four pounds of sugar). Strain, and bottle.

To make Cassis.—Digest for a week, in a covered vessel, a mixture of a gallon of rectified spirits, half a gallon of water, two ounces of cinnamon, and sixteen bruised cloves. At the end of the week add a gallon of black currants, and digest for a further two months. Press and strain, and add half a gallon of syrup (containing eight pounds of sugar).

To make Cherry Brandy.—Digest for three months, in a closed vessel, a mixture of a gallon of good brandy and a gallon of fresh cherries, of which about one-quarter of the stones have been broken. Strain, and add two pounds of loaf sugar.

To make CrÊme de Cacao.—Mix a gallon of rectified spirits with six pints of water, two and a half pints of syrup (containing two and a half pounds of sugar), and six and a quarter ounces of Bush’s essence of cocoa.

To make CrÊme de Cacao (another way).—Digest for a month, in a covered vessel, a gallon of rectified spirits, a quart of water, two pounds of caracca, roasted and bruised cocoa-nuts, a pound of West Indian cacao-nuts, and a shred of vanilla. Add a quart of syrup (containing two pounds of sugar). Strain, and bottle.

To make CrÊme de CafÉ.—Digest for a month, in a covered vessel, a gallon of rectified spirits, two pounds of coffee ground and roasted, and a gallon of water. Add two quarts of syrup (containing four pounds of sugar). Strain, and bottle.

To make CrÊme de Menthe.—Mix five quarts of rectified spirits, a quarter of an ounce of oil of peppermint, two gallons of syrup (containing sixteen pounds of sugar) and half a pint of glycerine. Colour as with green chartreuse.

To make CuraÇoa.—Digest for a month, in a covered vessel, a mixture of the peel of nine Seville oranges, the peel of a lemon, a dram each of cinnamon, coriander, and mace, an ounce of bruised Brazil wood, and a pint of rectified spirits. This tincture, having been filtered, is used to flavour a mixture of a gallon of rectified spirits, a gallon of water, and a gallon of syrup (containing eight pounds of sugar).

To make Ginger Brandy.—Digest for a month, in a covered vessel, stirring daily, a mixture of a gallon of brandy, six pounds of sugar, two pounds of raisins, half a pound of sweet almonds, two ounces each of bitter almonds and crushed ginger, an ounce of caraway seeds, and six lemons cut into slices.

To make Lemon Brandy.—Proceed as with cherry brandy, substituting a dozen sliced lemons for the cherries, and adding one pound of sugar only.

To make Lemon Cordial.—Digest for a month or more, in a closed vessel, a mixture of a gallon of rectified spirits, half a pound of lemon-peel, quarter of a pound of orange-peel, half an ounce of cinnamon, half an ounce of coriander, and five pints of water. Strain, and add six pints of syrup (containing six pounds of sugar) and three quarts of water.

To make Orange Bitters.—Digest for a month, in a closed vessel, a mixture of a gallon of rectified spirits, a gallon of water, a pound of dried orange-peel, half a pound of gentian root, two ounces each of coriander and cinnamon, and an ounce of cardamoms. Strain, and add five pints of syrup (containing five pounds of sugar) and two quarts of water.

To make Rum Shrub.—As brandy shrub, substituting rum for brandy.

To make Sighs of Love.—Mix a gallon of rectified spirits, two gallons of syrup (containing twelve pounds of sugar), water six pints, eau de rose one quart, and four drops of essence of vanilla. Colour delicately with cochineal.

To make Sloe Gin.—Digest for a year a mixture of a gallon of unpricked sloes, a gallon of gin, and six or eight pounds of sugar.

To make Tent.—Digest a mixture of a quart of port, a pint of sherry, a pint of rectified spirits, a quarter of a pint each of lemon juice and orange-flower water, three and a half pints of syrup (containing two pounds of sugar), and three drops of essence of ambergris.

To make Usquebaugh.—Digest for a month, in a covered vessel, shaking daily, a mixture of a gallon of brandy, a pound of stoned raisins, a pound of sugar candy, an ounce each of crushed cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, caraways, and nutmeg, a quarter ounce of saffron, and the rind of a Seville orange.

To make Vermouth.—Digest for a month, in a closed vessel, a quart of rectified spirits, two and a half gallons of a white wine, a sliced orange, two bruised nutmegs, half an ounce each of centaury, germander, calamus, elecampane, wormwood, and blessed thistle, and a quarter of an ounce each of gentian root and angelica root. Filter, and bottle.