Online Catalogue last updated 15th of September 2008
Chapters include alcohol, alcoholometry, raw materials, formation of alcohol, preparation of vinous mashes, preparation of alcohol from amylaceous raw materials (starch), distillation of the vinous mash, rectification and purification of spirit, preparation of liquors, preparation of liqueurs or cordials, receipts of liqueurs (what you know as recipes), and liqueurs prepared in the warm way.
You get an early industrial handbook on booze. It's all about making (that nasty stuff you so love from grapes, malt, potatoes, rice, corn, and more. I'm not sure I'd want to drink something I distilled myself, but I think my automobile or motorbike might like it when the gas stations are closed due to shortages.
Here you get details on how rum was (and probably still is) distilled in the West Indies, how Scotch is made, corn whiskey, and dozens of other potions. And you get the most complete instructions I've ever seen on turning potatoes into alcohol. All the details, tricks and tips. Just about anyone should be able to grow corn or potatoes and turn it into white lightning.
And! Here are the only instructions I've ever seen, five pages in fact, on turning wormwood into absinthe. Along with recommended still modifications. Never heard of it? Well, absinthe is so nasty that it's illegal almost everywhere, although I hear it is still bootlegged out of Switzerland. This liquor was consumed a hundred years ago in Europe in astonishing quantities. The 160 proof liquor was drizzled through a slotted spoon holding a sugar cube into a glass with a little water and turned an emerald green. In addition to the alcohol, the drink contained a chemical related to the active ingredient in marijuana. Parisian artists, among others, got REALLY messed up on the stuff. It caused so much damage that it was outlawed, and today the drink is associated with decadence. So if you really want to risk your life and limb, here are the secrets to making the stuff.
If nothing else, turn your motor scooter into an alcoholic.
Great book on the secrets of making ethanol. Wood engravings of stills and other hardware.
Code No. 010857, 330 pages, $42.00