3. Good port, 12 galls.; rectified spirit, 6 galls.; French brandy, 3 galls.; strong rough cider, 42 galls.; mix in a well-sulphured cask. (‘Publican’s Guide.’)
4. Port wine, 8 galls.; brandy, 6 galls.; sloe juice, 4 galls.; strong rough cider, 45 galls.; as the last. (‘Licensed Victuallers’ Companion.’)
5. Cider, 24 galls.; juice of elderberries, 6 galls.; sloe juice, 4 galls.; rectified spirit, 3 galls.; brandy, 11⁄2 gall.; powdered rhatany. 7 lbs.; isinglass, 4 oz., dissolved in a gall. of the cider; bung it down; in 3 months it will be fit to bottle, but should not be drunk until the next year; if a rougher flavour is required, the quantity of rhatany may be increased, or alum, 5 or 6 oz. (dissolved), may be added.
British sherry. 1. From cape or raisin wine, slightly flavoured with a very little bitter-almond cake, or, what is more convenient, a little of the essential oil dissolved in alcohol (essence of bitter almonds). A mere ‘streak’ or ‘thread’ of sweet-briar, eau de fleurs d’oranges, or orris, is occasionally added by way of bouquet; but care must be taken not to overdo it.
2. To each gallon of strong raisin must, add, when racking, 1 Seville orange, and 3 or 4 bitter almonds, both sliced. By omitting the almonds, and adding 1 green citron to each 2 or 3 gallons, this forms ‘British madeira.’
3. Very strong pale malt wort, 36 galls.; finest Muscovado sugar, 1 cwt.; yeast, 1 pint; ferment; on the third day add of raisins, stoned, 14 lbs., and in another week add, of rectified spirit, 1 gall., rum, 1⁄2 gall., and bitter almonds, grated, 11⁄4 oz.; bung down for 4 months, then draw it off into another cask, add of brandy, 1 gall., and in 3 months bottle it.
4. Teneriffe, slightly flavoured with cherry-laurel or bitter almonds, forms an excellent
‘British sherry,’ either alone or diluted with an equal quantity of cape or raisin wine, or good perry.
British tokay. To good cider, 18 galls.; add, of elderberry juice, 1⁄2 gall.; honey, 28 lbs.; sugar, 14 lbs.; red argol (powdered), 3⁄4 lb.; crystallised tartaric acid, 3 oz.; mix, boil, ferment, and, when the active fermentation is complete, add of brandy, 1 gall., and suspend in the liquor, from the bung-hole, a mixture of cassia and ginger, of each 1⁄2 oz.; cloves and capsicum, of each 1⁄4 oz.; the whole bruised, and loosely enclosed in a coarse muslin bag. It will be ripe in 12 months.
Obs. Some of the preceding formulæ, by skilful management, produce very good imitations of some of the imported wines; but (prejudice aside) many of the British fruit wines possess an equally agreeable flavour, and are frequently more wholesome. All British wines require to be kept at least a year, to ‘mellow.’ Much of the superiority of foreign wines arises from its age.