“Dirty” gin, of which we used to hear so much, was, I believe, as pure as any other geneva, and not less clean. Plymouth gin is said to be the healthiest form of the article, but ’tis an acquired taste, and “Old Tom” is certainly more toothsome. In entering as fully into details as I have above I have no wish to discourage the consumption of gin proper, especially when blended with ginger-beer (an excellent summer beverage), or doing duty in a cock-tail, a sling, a punch, or a John Collins. But I am not a “gin man” myself. And to my mind a “nip” less calculated to promote appetite than any other is a “gin-and-bitters.”
“Kosher” rum, i.e. rum treated according to instructions laid down in the Mosaic Law, is in high favour with the Jews; and in some of the taverns which abut on the Israelitish quarters which are about Aldgate there are recognized “rum-rooms.” There used to be, and probably is at the present day, a considerable amount of card—playing (spieling) or throwing of dice for wagers, carried on in these apartments; and I once knew a son of Judah who was heavily fined {89} by the stipendiary magistrate, for gambling on licensed premises. To the day of his death this Jew protested his innocence of the crime.
He told me the whole story, interlarded with tears and gesticulations.
The rozzers (detectives) raided the rum-room one afternoon, and created considerable commotion. Some of the imbibers managed to make their escape, but my informant was not so fortunate. He was seized by one minion of the law, and shortly afterwards another officer cried:
“See where he has hidden the dice in his tumbler of Old Jamaica!”
“And, may I die,” added the poor Yid, “if the gonoph (rascal) hadn’t placed ’em there himself—don’t yer beliefe me?”
Of course I did.
Here is another way of employing rum; but you will not be able to shine at solo-whist afterwards.
Rum Booze.
The yolks of eight eggs well beaten up, with some sifted sugar, and a grated nutmeg; extract the juice from rind of a lemon by rubbing loaf sugar thereon; put the sugar, a piece of cinnamon, and a bottle of white wine into a clean saucepan, and when the wine boils take it off the fire. Pour one glass of cold sherry into it, put it into a spouted jug (I don’t mean hypothecated, but a jug with a spout to it) and pour it gradually amongst the egg mixture, keeping the whole well stirred with a spoon as the wine is poured in. Sweeten to taste, and pour the mixture from one vessel to another until a fine white froth is obtained. {90}
The recipe continues. “Half a pint of rum is sometimes added, but it is then very intoxicating.”