Victorian Spirits From The Garden

By Helen S. Wright

It was  the Edwardian Age, the late 18th Century and early 19th, a time of living both in the past and the future. It was the last gasp of the Victorian Age before World War I and elegant living was becoming more rare.
But life in distant places went on as before and especially so for those who made their living from th

• Language: English
• Publisher: Antiquity Press
• Release date: Jun 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9780983425090

Book preview

PUBLISHING INFORMATION

Helen Wright: I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to the following books of reference: The Compleat Housewife, The Cook, The Dictionary of Every-day Wants, The Household Cyclopedia, Bluegrass Cook Book, Two Hundred Recipes from French Cookery.

Edited by: Sandra Ericson

Reprinted by:​

Antiquity Press, Woodland Projects LLC Eugene, Oregon, 2019

ISBN 978-0-9834250-9-0

©Sandra Ericson

Disclaimer

While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this book, the author does not assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter contained within. The information provided in this book is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions and the author does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities or damages, real or perceived, resulting from the use of this information. Many of the recipes call for medicinal herbs, roots and flowers that were commonly used at the time, some of which may have unpleasant side effects for some people. Recipes that had known and generally experienced negative side effects were not included but each winemaker should check the ingredients for individual compatibility.

PREFACE

EDITOR’S LETTER

This gem from the past was discovered in an obscure library at the beginning of my own adventures in wine- making. The book is a gift from other centuries, a window into a way of living and it’s rhythm and pace when conveniences were not the norm, a time when if you couldn’t make it yourself, you didn’t need it. The wonderfully hopeful aspect about the era for our own future was that even with its limitations, there was an appetite for elegance, for serving fine spirits and living well. Perhaps our own times could follow the idea and remember that living well means taste, style and skills — all forever possible even within a modest budget.

To begin your own adventures acquiring a unique one- of-a-kind bar, first focus on the knowledge and skills needed. You’ll need some gardening skills and/or a familiarity with a variety of fruits, herbs, vegetables, trees and flowers. Check the glossary in the back to find descriptions and definitions of the botanical plants mentioned in the recipes — many use only the archaic names. Think about planting a `spirits garden’ to have a yearly supply or find a great farmer’s market. And, if you find a favorite or have visions of your own brand, design your label from the custom label services in the appendix.

Also there, find a great variety of unusual bottles and the necessary ingredient and equipment resources for ordering small batch supplies which usually yield between 2 -5 bottles.

As they were originally, most of the recipes can be done in a home kitchen; although, a storage area or garage space will be needed for seasonal storage of bottles, large pots, etc. Many of the recipes can be made outdoors on an open burner or fire pit in the summer when the ingredients are plentiful.

After a summer of spirit making, as fall sets in and the days shorten, there is nothing so satisfying as relaxing at the end of the day with a fine sip, made extra soul-pleasing by pouring your own. Enjoy, share and always thank the garden in the first toast.

Sandra Ericson

Please visit our website for a complimentary Herb Guide.

www.VictorianSpirits.com

Contact Email: [e-mail]

(Bolded terms will take you to the Glossary; repeated terms are identified as Glossary without bold type.)

ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION

by Helen Wright

The idea of compiling this little volume occurred to me while on a visit to some friends at their summer home in a quaint New England village. The little town had once been a thriving seaport, but now it consisted of hardly more than a dozen old fashioned Colonial houses facing each other along one broad, well-kept street. A few blind lanes led to less pretentious homes; and still farther back farmhouses dotted the landscape and broke the dead line on the horizon. The ladies of the Great Houses, as the villagers called the few Colonial mansions, were invariably spinsters or widows of uncertain years, the last descendants of a long line of sea captains and prosperous mariners, to whom the heritage of these old homes, rich with their time-honored furnishings and curios, served to keep warm the cockles of kindly hearts, which extended to the stranger that traditional hospitality which makes the whole world kind.

The social customs of this Adamless Eden were precise and formal. As witness the dear ladies of Cranford, a call was a very serious affair, given and received with great gravity, and had its time limit set with strict punctuality. Cake and wine were invariably served as a preliminary warning toward early departure. Here came my first acquaintance with many varieties of home-made wines, over whose wealth of color and delicacy of flavor my eyes and palate longed to linger. Vulgar curiosity made me bold to inquire the names of a few; imagine my astonishment when graciously told that the gay dandelion, the modest daisy, the blushing currant, had one and all contributed their nectar to the joy of the occasion.

Flattered by my interest, my gentle hostess broke strict rules of etiquette and invited me to linger, showing me rare old gardens aglow with flowers, fruits, and vegetables that in due time would contribute to their store, and at parting various time-worn recipes were urged upon me, with verbal instructions and injunctions upon the best methods of putting them to test. From this beginning I ferreted out from other sources recipes for many curious concoctions, the very name of which fills the mind with fantasies and pictures of the long ago. Do we not feel poignant sympathy for the grief of the poor Widow of Malbar, whose flow of tears has descended in spirit, through three centuries, to those still faithful to her memory?

Did we ever pause to consider what a slaughter of the innocents went to make famous many an old English tavern whose Sign of the Cock made the weary traveller pause and draw rein, and call loudly for the stirrup cup of this home- brewed ale? Can we not feel the ponderous presence, and smell the strong tobacco from the pipes of groups of stolid Dutchmen, of the days of Wouter Van Twiller, when we read of that one-time favorite beverage, Schiedam Schnapps? Again, are we not back in that dull, but delightful, society of the days of Colonel Newcome, when a quiet game of bezique was interrupted by the tidy servant who brought in the refreshing Orgeat and delicate seed cakes? Have not our own grandmothers boasted of the delicious flavor of old English Cowslip wine or Noyean Cordial?

I have confined myself exclusively to homemade beverages, gathering my fruits and flowers from old-fashioned, homely gardens. I leave to your imagination the time and fashions and customs they recall. The aroma that clings to them is subtle. Age has blended and mellowed all that was crude in those bygone days. With a gentle hand I tie my little bunch together and present you my bouquet.

Chapter 1

GARDEN WINES

The best method of making these wines is to boil the ingredients, and ferment with yeast. Boiling makes the wine more soft and mellow. Some, how ever, mix the juice, or juice and fruit, with sugar and water unboiled and leave the ingredients to ferment spontaneously. Your fruit should always be prime, and gathered dry, and picked clean from stalks, etc. The lees of wine are valuable for distillation, or making vinegar. When wine is put in the cask the fermentation will be renewed.

Clear away the yeast as it rises, and fill up with wine, for such purpose a small quantity should be reserved. If brandy is to be added, it must be when the fermentation has nearly subsided, that is, when no more yeast is thrown up the bung- hole, and when the hissing noise is not very perceptible; then mix a quart of brandy with a pound of honey, pour it into the cask, and paste stiff brown paper over the bung-hole. Allow no hole for air vent peg, lest it should once be forgotten, and the whole cask of wine be spoiled. If the wine wants to vent it will be sure to burst the paper; if not the paper will sufficiently exclude the air. Once a week or so it may be looked