CHAPTER XXVIII.

CORDIAL WATERS.

IN the process of making these articles, several things are necessary to be observed, in order to bring them to their proper state of perfection. If your still is an alembic, you must fill the top with cold water when you set it on, and close the bottom with a little stiff paste made of flour and water. If you use a hot still, when you put on the top, dip a cloth in white lead and oil, and lay it close over the ends, and a coarse cloth well soaked in water on the top; and when it becomes dry from the heat of the fire, wet it and lay it on again. It will require but little fire, but what there is must be as clear as possible. All simple waters must stand two or three days before they are bottled off, that the fiery taste which they will naturally receive from the still may be fully extracted.

Rose Water.

GATHER your roses when they are dry and full blown, pick off the leaves, and to every peck put a quart of water. Then put them into a cold still, and make a slow fire under it; for the more gradually it is distilled, the better it will be. Then bottle it, and in two or three days you may cork it up for use.

Lavender Water.

To every pound of lavender-neps put a quart of water. Put them into a cold still, and make a slow fire under it. Distil it off very slowly, and put it into a pot till you have distilled all your water. Then clean your still well out, put your lavender-water into it, and distil it off as slowly as before. Then put it into bottles, cork them quite close, and set them by for use.

Peppermint Water.

GATHER your peppermint when it is full grown, and before it seeds. Cut it into short lengths, put it into your still, and cover it with water. Make a good fire under it, and when it is near boiling, and the still begins to drop, if you find your fire too hot, draw a little away, that the liquor may not boil over. The slower your still drops, the clearer and stronger will be the water; but at the same time you must not let it get too weak. The next morning bottle it off, and after it has stood two or three days, to take off the fiery taste of the still, cork it well, and it will preserve its strength a considerable time.

Surfeit Water.

TAKE scurvy-grass, brook-lime, water-cresses, Roman wormwood, rue, mint, balm, sage, and chives, of each one handful; poppies, if fresh, half a peck; but if they are dry, only half that quantity; cochineal and saffron, six-penny worth of each: aniseeds, carraway-seeds, coriander-seeds, and cardamum seeds, of each an ounce; two ounces of scraped liquorice, a pound of split figs, the same quantity of raisins of the sun stoned, an ounce of juniper-berries bruised, an ounce of beaten nutmeg, an ounce of mace bruised, and the same of sweet fennel seeds also bruised; a few flowers of rosemary, marigold, and sage. Put all these into a large stone jar, and pour on them three gallons of French brandy. Cover it close, and let it stand near the fire for three weeks. Stir it three times a week, and at the expiration of that time strain it off. Bottle your liquor, and pour on the ingredients a quart more of French brandy. Let it stand a week, stirring it once a day; then distil it in a cold still, and you will have a fine white surfeit water. Bottle it close, and it will retain its virtues a considerable time.