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Ratafia

This word is derived from (made as in last receipt); + gallon clove water (made as in last receipt); 1½ ounces mace infused in 95 per cent. alcohol. Mix all the above ingredients in a clean barrel, and add 68 gallons sugar syrup 25° Baumé. Stir up the mixture and let it rest 8 days; then strain.

796. Cordials by Distillation . The solid ingredients should be coarsely pounded or bruised before digestion in the spirit, and this should be done immediately before putting the Latin pax ratafiat (let peace be ratified). them into the cask or vat; as, after they are The Latins used to drink ratafia on signing their bruised, they rapidly lose their aromatic proptreaties of peace. Ratafia may be made with erties by exposure to the air. The practice the juice of any fruit. Take 3 gallons cherry of drying the ingredients before pounding juice, 4 pounds sugar, dissolved in the cherry them, adopted by some workmen for the mere juice. Steep in 24 gallons brandy 10 days sake of lessening the labor, cannot be too 2 drachms cinnamon, 24 cloves, 16 ounces much avoided, as the least exposure to heat peach leaves, 8 ounces bruised cherry ker- tends to lessen their aromatic properties, nels. Filter; mix both liquors, and filter which are very volatile. The length of time again. the ingredients should be digested in the

791. To Prepare Cherry Juice by In- spirit should never be less than 3 or 4 days, fusion for making Cherry Bounce and but a longer period is preferable when distila longer period is preferable when distil- Brandy. Put the cherries into barrels and lation is not employed. In either case the cover them with 95 per cent. spirit; let them time allowed for digestion may be advantagetime allowed for digestion may be advantagesteep for 1 month, and stir them well every 8 days. Use the juice that runs off first, and repeat this operation 2 or 3 times. The last time, you may bruise the cherries and stones , and steep them all together to make cherry brandy. ously extended to 10 or 15 days, and frequent agitation should be had recourse to. In managing the still, the fire should be proportioned to the ponderosity of the oil or flavoring , and the receiver should be changed before the faints come over, as the latter are unfit to be

792. To Prepare Cherry Juice for mixed with the cordial. The stronger spirit Boiling. Put the cherries in a kettle tinned inside, cover them with water, and boil them at a gentle heat for 1 hour. When cold put them into barrels and add 1 gallon 95 per cent. spirit to each 10 gallons of the juice. may be reduced to the desired strength by means of clear soft water, or the clarified syrup used for sweetening. 797. To Make Absinthe by Distillation. Put the following ingredients into a 793. To Make Cherry Bounce (Su- cask:-14 pounds large absinthe, 2 pounds perfine). To 15 gallons cherry juice, add 15 small absinthe, 2½ pounds long fennel, 21 small absinthe, 25 pounds long fennel, 24 gallons 80 per cent. spirit; 30 gallons Catalonia pounds star anise (breaking the star only), 2½ pounds star anise (breaking the star only), 2 or Marseilles wine; 14 ounces essence of noyau; pounds green anise seed, 6 ounces coriander 3 ounces mace infused in 1 quart 95 per seed, and 1 pound hyssop; moisten the whole cent. alcohol; ± pound cinnamon infused in 1/2 with a little water, allowing it time to soften gallon water; 1 pound cloves ground and and swell; then add 12 gallons 95 per cent. 95 percent infused in 1 quart of water. Put all the alcohol, and steep for 2 or 3 days; next add above ingredients in a clean barrel and add 60 10 gallons water, and let the whole steep for gallons sugar syrup 25° Baumé. Stir up the 1 day more. The water will reduce the alcomore. The water will reduce the alcoingredients well, and filter after 4 or 5 days. hol to about 23 gallons of proof spirit. Dis- If the color is not deep enough add a little till it, and it will produce nearly 15 gallons sugar coloring. The above receipt is to make 120 gallons, but a much smaller quantity may be made by reducing the quantity of each ingredient and observing the same proportion in all. absinthe of 65 to 70 per cent. strength.

Change the receiver as soon as the spirit, as it comes from the worm, begins to assume a reddish tinge. Color the distilled product, by steeping in it for 10 or 15 days pound mint leaves, 1 pound melissa leaves, 1/2 pound small absinthe, 2 ounces citron peel, and 1/2 pound bruised liquorice root. Strain and filter. 794. To make Cherry Bounce (Second Quality). To 12 gallons cherry juice, add 30 gallons 80 per cent. spirit; 30 gallons Catalonia or Marseilles wine 3 ounces essence 798. Absinthe by Distillation. This wine; 3 ounces essence