"Take nine gallons of water, add twenty-seven pounds of loaf sugar; put it into your boiler and add the whites of five eggs, beat well. Let it boil twenty minutes; take off the scum as it rises. Then have ready thirty-six quarts of cowslips, in a tub that will hold the liquor, and the rinds of twelve lemons pared thin. You must boil the rinds of the lemons with two pounds more sugar and a little water, to a thick syrup. When your wine is about luke warm, put it into a little yeast upon a crust of bread. Let it work one whole day, then put it into your barrel, squeezing your flowers well out before you close your barrel, which must be in about three days after it is tunned. Put in your syrup half an ounce of isinglass, and one quart of brandy. Let it stand six weeks, then bottle it off."
--From FRANK LESLIE'S LADY'S MAGAZINE (published in New York) Vol XXIV No 2, February 1869, column entitled "Household Receipts".
"One quart of the juice to one pound of sugar; it will ferment without yeast; this wine is much thought of in some places and is easy to make."
--From THE LADY'S FRIEND (published in Philadelphia, by Deacon & Peterson) Vol IV no 8, August 1867, column entitled "Receipts".
"Ten gallons of elderberries, ten gallons of soft water, boil and strain: eight ounces red tartar, forty-five pounds of white sugar; ferment with yeast. When in the cask add ginger, cloves, nutmeg, mace, in all four ounces of spice, and three ounces of bitter almonds. After fermentation has ceased, close the barrel tight, and rack it off when convenient."
--From THE LADY'S FRIEND (published in Philadelphia, by Deacon & Peterson) Vol. IV no 8, August 1867, column entitled "Receipts".
"Fill a china or earthenware bowl of any size nearly half full of cider (of sour it is of no consequence), sweeten to the taste with coarse brown sugar, grate nutmeg and cinnamon to taste; then send the bowl out to the cow to be milked on till quite full of froth. A better syllabub for company is made of port wine and cider mixed (or port wine only) sweetened with white sugar, and spiced to taste. They are generally served quite cold, and will even keep until the next day, only not so well. The bowl is generally placed on the table, and the syllabub served with a punch ladle into coffee-cups placed all around the bowl. "
--From THE LADY'S FRIEND (published in Philadelphia, by Deacon & Peterson) Vol. IV no 7, July 1867, column entitled "Receipts".
"Nine gallons of water, six pounds of molasses, and eight ounces of the essence of spruce, and half a pint of yeast; skim off the yeast as it rises, 
and when the fermentation has nearly ceased, bottle the beer in strong bottles, and wire down the corks. Ginger, lemon or any other flavoring can be substituted for spruce."
--From THE LADY'S FRIEND (published in Philadelphia, by Deacon & Peterson) Vol IV no 8, August 1867, column entitled "Receipts".
"Take equal parts brandy and blackberry juice, add to every gallon one pound of loaf-sugar. This is excellent for bowel complaints."
--From THE LADY'S FRIEND (published in Philadelphia, by Deacon & Peterson) Vol IV no 8, August 1867, column entitled "Receipts".
"One bottle of scotch ale, one pint of sherry, a quarter of a pound of sugar, one bottle of soda-water, a small piece of toasted bread, grated nutmeg, four slices of lemon. In the first place the sugar must be melted and strained, which place in a cup holding three quarts, then add the wine and the ale; stir these well up; just before serving, add the soda water; and on the froth, a little grated nutmeg. Place in the toast and lemon, and take it to the table; it should be drunk immediately. This is considered by many persons to be the best cup that was ever made."
--From PETERSON'S MAGAZINE (published in Philadelphia, PA) Vol LIII No 3, March 1868, column entitled "Our New Cook-Book"
"Put two quarts of French brandy, eighteen lemons, three-quarters of a pound of best loaf sugar, and three pints new milk to two quarts of water. Strain this frequently through a jelly bag until it becomes clear and fine. Make two or three days before it is required, and bottle it off."
--From PETERSON'S MAGAZINE (published in Philadelphia, PA) Vol LIII No 3, March 1868, column entitled "Our New Cook-Book"
"Throw into two quarts of new milk the very thinly pared rind of a fine lemon, and half a pound of good sugar, in lumps; bring it slowly to boil; take out the lemon rind, draw it from the fire, and stir quickly in a couple of well- whisked eggs, which have been mixed with less than half a pint of cold milk, and strained through a sieve; the milk must not of course be allowed to boil after these are mixed with it. Add gradually a pint of rum, and half a pint of brandy. Mix the punch to a froth and serve it immediately with quite warm glasses."
--From PETERSON'S MAGAZINE (published in Philadelphia, PA) Vol LIII No 3, March 1868, column entitled "Our New Cook-Book"
"To one gallon of brandy put nine pounds of bruised white or red currents (or both sorts mixed as preferred), fresh and ripe, eight ounces pounded or ground ginger, the rind of eight lemons, and two ounces of bitter almonds, blanched and pounded; mix all together and stir the mixture frequently. Let it stand for a few days, then run it through a jelly bag; add four pounds of loaf sugar, not broken into small pieces. When the sugar is quite dissolved it will be fit to bottle."
--From FRANK LESLIE'S LADY'S MAGAZINE (published in New York) Vol XXIV No 4, April 1869, column entitled "Household Receipts".
"Place a sponge cake in a glass dessert-dish; prick the cake with a fine fork, pour over it raisin wine and brandy in equal parts, and when well moistened strew sifted sugar over it, and place round it a very rich custard, or, simply, steep small sponge-cakes in brandy, stick into them thin slips of blanched almonds..."
--From FRANK LESLIE'S LADY'S MAGAZINE (published in New York) Vol XXIV No 6, June 1869, column entitled "Household Receipts".
"Dissolve three quarts of a pound of loaf sugar in one pint of boiling water, and mix with them one gill of lemon juice, and one gill of sherry; then add three gills of cold milk. Stir the whole well together and strain it."
--From FRANK LESLIE'S LADY'S MAGAZINE (published in New York) Vol XXIV No 7, July 1869, column entitled "Household Receipts".
"Stick into the rind of a fine China orange three or four cloves; put it into a glass jar, and then add half a pound of sugar; pour in one quart of brandy; tie a bladder over the jar, and place it in a sunny window, or any other warm place, for twenty or thirty days; shake it gently round every day; then strain it off, and bottle it."
--From FRANK LESLIE'S LADY'S MAGAZINE (published in New York) Vol XXIV No 7, July 1869, column entitled "Household Receipts".
"Cut into inch pieces four good sized vanilla beans and one tonqua bean; put them in a bottle and add half a pint of good alcohol. Let this stand in a warm place for three weeks; at the end of that time pour off the extract carefully into a bottle."
--From FRANK LESLIE'S LADY'S MAGAZINE (published in New York) Vol XXIV No 8, August 1869, column entitled "Household Receipts".
"A bottle of port wine, two ounces of isinglass, a little grated nutmeg, and two ounces of sugar candy. Pour the wine on the isinglass, let it remain twelve hours, then put in these ingredients with a quarter of a lemon in thin slices, into a jug; tie it over with paper and set it in a sauce pan of boiling water for an hour or so. When the isinglass is dissolved it is all ready. Two wineglassfuls is enough at a time. It is best taken warm. If taken cold, a spoon of course must be used.
--From FRANK LESLIE'S LADY'S MAGAZINE (published in New York) Vol XXIV No 9, September 1869, column entitled "Household Receipts".
Heather Palmer, has served as the Curator of three historic house museums and was also the Historian of Blair House, the President's Guest House. She lectures at colleges and publishes articles in the fields of 18th and 19th century women's lives, clothing and needlework, and in the area of material culture. She does free-lance editorial work and writing.
COWSLIP WINE
BOTTLED TABLE BEER
GINGER CORDIAL
