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THE EXOTIC DRINKING BOOK
more wine than could be shipped, thought up the idea of reducing the
freight by extracting water by heat,-the same to be put back later at
the consumers' end. . . . Although this didn't prove sound as to wine
handling, the distilled wine turned into a new and mellow fluid of
bouquet and potency which the original could never hope to equal–
and thus brandy was given to the world, of which the well-known Hen–
nessy cognac is a typical example founded in 1765.... Beside all the
fancy tests tasters apply to brandy, the main one for laymen like our–
selves is as follows: Poor brandy when sipped neat burns harshly on the
tongue, and flavour vanishes quickly. Sound brandy, on the contrary,
does not burn sharply and leaves a flavour and bouquet which lingers
pleasantly. . . . Sip it slowly, roll it on the tongue-and the result
should be like ripe grapes under warm harvest-time sun. . .. The bou–
quet of good brandy lingers in the glass long after the liquid itself is
gone.
Brandy is taken in three principal ways: Mixed with other things,
and alone, either in a small brandy glass, or in the large globe glasses.
In
the latter case the globe should be warmed between palms. This bodily
warmth startles the perfumes into wakefulness, and they arise to greet
nose as well as lip-and the brandy is then sipped slowly, a very tiny
bit at a time.
Almost beyond all other spirits brandy requires enough aging, as only
in this way can the delicate qualiti<;§. be properly brought out, and raw–
ness mellowed. Brandies from certain years are blended with other years,
so that an even quality may be maintained. The colourless, raw distilled
wine becomes mellowed and darkened from the wooden casks. Actually
1
bottle of aged brandy requires the distillation of about
10
bottles of
wine.
Brandy out of wood never ages, and
1
bottled in
1900
after
IO
years in
wood is still
IO
years old in
1939 .
Remember to check on this when buy–
ing rare brandy.
CREME de CACAO
... Needed in at least one important cocktail, and
a favourite with the ladies as a cordial with coffee. Naturally has a potent
chocolate flavour from cacao beans from which cocoa and chocolate
"
come.
CREME de CASSIS
. . . French black currant syrup, useful with ver–
mouth as an appetizing cooler. Also used at rare intervals in special
cocktails. Good with soda for non-alcoholic summer beverages.