78
A TREATISE ON
dissolved in water.
In
a week or a fortnight the
liquor will be clea.i:.
A most convenient and easy way of manufactur–
ing cordials, especially where it is wished
to
avoid
keeping a large stock, is always to keep two casks of
sweetened spirit ready prepared, at the strength of
60 or 64 u. p. The one should contain 1 lb. of sugar
to the gallon, the other 3 lbs. per gallon. From
these may be made spirit of any intermediate iiweet–
ness, which may be fiavored with any essential oil
dissolved in alcohol, or any aromatic spirit, prepared
either by digestion or distillation.
As
a general rule,
the concentrated essences may be made
by
dissolv–
ing 1 oz. of the essential oil in 1 pint of the strongest
rectified spirit ofwine. This solution should be kept
in well-corked bottles, and used by dropping it cau–
tiously into the sweetened spirit until the desired
fiavor is produced. During this operation, the cor–
dial should be frequently and violently shaken,
to
produce a perfect admixture. Should sufficient es–
sence to foul the liquor be added by accident, the
transparency may be restored by the addition of a
little more spirit, or by clarification.
The most frequent cause of failure in the manufac–
ture of cordials is the addition of
too
muchflavoring.
Persons unaccustomed
to
the use of strong aromatics
and essential oils, seldom estimate power, and conse-
Digitized
by
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