The French Wine and Liquor Manufacturer

The liquor trade's own 1868 handbook — stills, cordials, imitation brandies and how wines were doctored, preserved as printed.

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Turmeric

Cherry Juice.

To prepare cherry juice for coloring and flavoring Port wine see "Recipes" Nos. 12 and 13.

Orchil, or Archil, and Cudbear.

This peculiar coloring matter is derived from lichenous plants which grow on maritime rocks. Orchil, as as prepared in England, is in the form of a thickish liquid of a deep reddish purple color.

Cudbear is obtained from the same plant, and generally comes in the form of a purplish-red powder. It is procured in the same manner as orchil; but the mixture, after the development of the color, is dried and pulverized. This color is very fine, cheap, and easy to prepare, but it is not very fast. It is prepared as follows: put 10 lbs. Orchil or cudbear in a barrel, add 10 gals. of the wine you desire to color, let it steep 4 or 5 days, and then add to each 60 gals. wine, 1 gal. prepared as above. When drawing off the coloring, let it run through a piece of flannel. The above coloring is better for Port than Claret wine, because the former contains a greater per cent of alcohol, and, therefore, preserves it from precipitating, and depositing on the sides of the cask. Turmeric Is the root of a plant which is a native of the East Indies and China. The best is said to come from the latter place. Turmeric yields a yellow color, and is used to give the natural tint to white, Sherry, and Madeira wines. The powdered root should be digested in alcohol, 95 per cent, in greater or less proportions according to the depth of color required.

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