ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS.—By "alcoholic liquors" is understood those spirituous drinks which aro obtained by distillation, such as braudy, whiskey, rum, &c.: these only will bo treated of in the present articles. The spirituous drinks which are the immediato products of formentation, such as beer, cider, wine, &c., will be discussed later in the articles entitled " Beverages." Of the former class, some, as brandy and rum, are the immediate products of distillation ; others, as gill, and the various liqueurs, are prepared from alcohol previously obtained from the still.
Absinth. (Fn., Absinthe ; GER., Wermothextraet).—Abbinth is the name given to an infusion of the Artemisia Absinthium, or: wormwood plant, in strong ale )11°1. It is of a greenish colour, iutensely bitter, and has a peculiar, penetrating odour.
The manufacture of absinth is carried oa chiefly in Switzerland in the town of Neufchatel, and at Lyons, Portarlier, and Montpellier. It is prepared by steeping tho leaves and tops of wormwood in brandy or proof spirit ; other aromatic substances are added, and the whole is allowed to digest for some days. The leaves are then strained, and the liquid is distilled and flavoured with sumo essential oil. Tho following is a recipe for the absiuth of Noufehittel : The leaves and tops of the wormwood plant, 4 lb. ; angelica rout, calamus root, aniseed and dittany leaves, 1 oz. of each ; brandy or spirit (12 underproof),4 gallons ; macerate for ten days, add a gallon of water, distil 4 gallons at a gentlo heat, and dissolve in the distilled spirit 2 lb. of crushed white sugar ; flavour with a few drops of oil of anise.
Absinth is ooustantly coloured with iudigo, and occasionally with sulphate of copper ; chloride of antimony has also been found in it in small quantities.
The following are recipes for absinth, as manufactured in different French towns :— Absinth of Lyons. (For 1 hectolitre):— Large absinth (dried) .. 3 kilos.
Green anise 8 „ Fennel : 4 „ Angelica seed .. .. 500 grm.
Alcohol (at 85°) .. 95 litres.
Digest these ingredients for twelve hours in a water bath ; add 45 litres of water, close the appa ratus, and distil off 95 litres ; continue the distillation until all the spirit has passed over, and keel) the remainder for another operation. The distillate is then coloured by means of the following
mixture : Small absinth (dried) .. 1 kilo.
Lemon balm (dried) . 1 „ Hyssop tops and flowers (dried) . . 500 grm.
Dried veronica . .. 500 „ The small absinth is cut up fine, and tho balm and hyssop are reduced to powder ; they aro thou mixed with 40 litres of the spirit in a water-lath, and heated gently, but not so as to distil any of the contents. After a short time, they are allowed to cool, passed through a hair-sieve, and added to the remainder of the spirit from the preceding operation. About 5 litres of water are then added to make the whole up to 1 hectolitre.
Absinth of Portarlier.
Large absinth (dried and ground) .. 2i kilos.
Green anise ..
Fennel .. .. 5 Alcohol (at 85°) .. 95 litres.
Digest and distil as in the previous operation, and colour with the following : Small absinth (dried) .. .. 1 kilo.
Hyssop tops and flowers .. 1 „ Lemon balm (dried) .. .. 500 grm.
Absinth of Montpellier.
Large absinth (dried) .. 2i kilos.
Green anise .. 6 „ Florentine fennel Coriander .. 1 „ Angelica seed .. .. 500 grm.
Alcohol (at 85°) .. .. 95 litres.
Colouring.
Dried hyssop (herb and flowers) .. . 750 grm.
Dried balm of Moldavia 750 „ Small absinth .. 1 kilo.
The quantities of the ingredients in the above recipes may, of cour-e, be varied to suit the taste of the manufacturer, or the quality and price of the product required. Nothing but age, however, will afford to absinth the qualities which are so much valued by consumers of this drink.
Much care is required in the choice of the materials, and especially of those used for colouring. The plants should be green and dry, and free from black or mouldy leaves. They are finely divided or reduced to powder. covered with the perfnmecl spirit from the distillation, and heated gently in order to extract the chlorophylls, or colouring principle. After cooling, the coloured spirit is drawn off clear, and the plants are drained and re-distillcd, in order to collect the spirit still adhering to them. The vessels in which the colouring is conducted are made of tinned copper, and hold about 20 hectolitres. They are hermetically closed, and heated by steam to 60°.