Curaçoa.—Put into a large bottle nearly full of alcohol of trente-six (34° Baumé), 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 quantity of the orange zestes to give flavour, then spice the whole with 48 grains of cinnamon, and as much mace, both in powder. Lastly introduce an ounce of ground Brazil wood, and infuse during 10 days, agitating 3 or 4 times daily. A pretty deep hue ought to be given with caramel.
Swiss extract of wormwood, is compounded as follows:—
Macerate these substances during eight days, then distil by a gentle fire; draw off two gallons of spirits, and add to it 2 drachms of essential oil of anise-seed. The two gallons left in the still serve for preparing the vulnerary spirituous water.
Of colouring the liqueurs.
Yellow is given with the yellow colouring matter of safflower (carthamus,) which is readily extracted by water.
Fawn is given by caramel, made by heating ground white sugar in an iron spoon over a charcoal fire, till it assumes the desired tint, and then pouring it into a little cold water.
Red is given by cochineal alone, or with a little alum.
Violet is given by good litmus (turnsole).
Blue and green.—Sulphate of indigo gives the first. After saturating it nearly with chalk, alcohol being digested upon it, becomes blue. This tincture mixed with that of carthamus forms a good green.