LIQUEURS, LIQUORISTE; names given by the French to liquors coin pounded of alcohol, water, sugar, and different aromatic substances ; and to the person who compounds them. There are given here, on Dr. Ure's authority, a few of their most approved recipes.
Infusion of the peels of fruits.—The outer skin, pared off with a sharp knife, is to be dropped into a hard glazed jar, containing alcohol of 34° B., diluted with half its bulk of water, and the whole is to be transferred into well-corked car boys. After an infusion of six weeks, with occasional agitation, the aromatized spirit is to be distilled off. In this way are prepared the liquors of cedrat, lemons, oranges, dinettes (a sort of sweet lemon), poneires (the large citron), ber gamots Ric., Infusion of aromatic seeds.--These must be pounded, put into a carboy, along with alcohol diluted as above, infused with agitation for six weeks, and then distilled.
Infusions of aromatic woods are made in the same way.
The liquorist should not bring his in fusions and tinctures into the market till six months after their distillation.
Liqueurs have different titles, accord ing to their mode of fabrication.
Thus waters are liquors apparently devoid of viscidity ; creams and oils pos sess it ie a high degree.
Water of cedrat is made by dissolving six pounds of sugar in seven quarts of water ; adding two quarts of spirit of ceetrat, and one of spirit of citron. Boil the whole for a minute, and filter hot through a proper bag. Set it for a con siderable time aside in a corked carboy, before it be bottled.
Oil or cream of eedrat.—Take eight quarts of river water, two of spirit of cedrat, one of spirit of citron, and as much rich sirup as is necessary to give the mixture an oily consistence. Stir it well and set it aside in carboys. Should it be at all clouded, it must be filtered till it be perfectly pellucid.
Balm. of Moluaa, is made by infusing for ten days, in a carboy capable of hold ing fully four gallons, 10pounds of spirits of 18° B., 4 pounds of white sugar, 4 pounds of river water, 4 drachms of pounded cloves, and 48 grains of pounded mace. The mixture is to be shaken 3 or 4 times daily, colored with caramel (burnt sugar), filtered at the end of ten days, and set aside in bottles.
Tears of the widow of Malabar, are com pounded with the preceding quantity of spirits, sugar, and water, adding 4 drachms of ground cinnamon, 48 grains of cloves, and a like quantity of mace, both in powder. It may be shghtly col
ored with caramel.
The delight of the Mandarins.—Take spirit, sugar, and water, as above, adding 4 drachms of anisuni Chime (Gengi), as much anibrede (seeds of the hibiscus abet moschue, Lin.), all in powder: 2 drachms of safflower.
The sighs of love.—Take spirits, water, and sugar, as above. Perfume with essence (otto) of roses ; give a very pale pink hue with tincture of cochineal, filter and bottle up.
Creme de 27104.27'01M—Add to the spirit, sugar, and water, as above, half a pound of bitter almonds, blanched and pounded ; cloves, cinnamon, and mace in powder, of each 48 grains. A violet tint is given by the tinctures of turnsole and cochineal.
Curacoa.—Put into a large bottle nearly full of alcohol of trente-six (34° Bnume), the peels of six smooth Portugal oranges, (Seville ?) and let them infuse for 15 days ; then put into a carboy 10 pounds of spirits of 18°B., 4 pounds of white sugar, and 4 pounds of river water. When the sugar is dissolved, add a sufficient quan tity of the orange zestes to give flavor, then spice the whole with 48 grains of cinnamon, and as much mace, both in powder. Lastly -introduce an ounce of ground Brazil wood, end infuse during 10 days, agitating 3 or 4 times daily. A pretty deep hue ought to be given with caramel.
LIQUORICE.—Glycyrrhizct glabra, the plant which produces the liquorice of the shops, is cultivated in England for the use of brewers and distillers, but liquor ice is manufactured from it only in Sicily and Spain. It grows naturally near Pon tefract and Languedoc, in all the Medi terranean countries, and in such abund ance in Sicily that it is considered a great scourge to the cultivator. Its roots pene trate to a great depth, and the deeper the ground is opened, with a view to eradi cate them, so much the more vigorous is the succeeding crop. The juice is ex pressed from the roots, in the same way as oil is from olives; they are first wash ed perfectly clean, then crushed in an olive mill, then boiled four or five hours, pressed in the olive-press, and the juice slowly boiled, and evaporated in an iron vessel.