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them and fix them up, properly, so they would give
satisfaction to the customers. Those days have passed,
and the present method is much more convenient, the
goods now manufactured and distilled being much
more uniform and giving better satisfaction.
One ordering goods from a distillery now can have
his own blend, as he orders, according to the desires
and tastes of his customers, and also the proper proof
of all his whiskeys, as all these will be properly and
satisfactorily distilled and blended without any fur
ther trouble to the proprietor. Whiskeys, as a "rule,
are now sold at an average of from 93 to 95 proof.
This varies, of course, to some extent, and what is re
quired all depends on the class of trade that the pro
prietor has.
As far as imported goods, gins, rums, brandies, etc.,
are concerned, they all, more or less, come over-proof,
and therefore it is advisable to reduce them to about
100, for by selling it over-proof, the proprietor would
not be able to have returned the amount of money
invested. It is difficult, anyway, to make a profit on
imported goods.
In buying bonded (or imported) goods, it is well
for the purchaser to select, of course, a first-class firm
who handles the best grade of liquors, always being
sure to get an order from the importers on their bonded
warehouse, to have the goods delivered to you. By
this means you know the liquors have not been adulter
ated, as is possibly the case when they have been re
moved first to the cellars or warehouse of the importer.
When it requires a reduction of the imported liquors,
as they come generally from 12 to 15 over-proof, the
proper amount of water required for this reduction
will be one pint to a gallon of the liquor, in order to
bring the proof from 115 to 100, the usual retail sale
proof of imported liquors. They are generally drank
stronger than the domestic goods, because they are still