CHAP. LV.Of Geneva.
Therewas formerly kept in the Apothecaries Shops a distilled spirituous Water of Juniper; but the Vulgar being fond of it as a Dram, the Distillers supplanted the Apothecaries, and sold it under the Name of Geneva. The common Sort however is not made from Juniper-berries as it ought to be, but from Oil of Turpentine; the Method of which we shall give in the Sequel of this Chapter.
Juniper-berries are a roundish Fruit, of the Size of a Pea. They wither and wrinkle in the drying, and we meet with them variously corrugated, and usually covered with a bluish resinous Dust when fresh. They should be chosen fresh, plump, full of Pulp, and of a strong Taste and Smell. They are usually imported fromGermany, tho’ we have plenty of the Trees inEngland. It is but small with us, rarely rising to more than three or four Feet in Height, and scarce ever exceeding five or six. Some of the Juniper Shrubs are Males, some Females of the same Species; the Male Shrubs produce inAprilorMaya small Kind of Juli with Apices on them verylarge, and full of Farina; the Females produce none of these Juli but only the Berries, which do not ripen till the second Year, and then do not immediately fall off, so that it is no uncommon thing to see three Sets of Berries, or the Berries of three different Years at once on the same Tree.
If you make use ofEnglishBerries, let them be fully ripe before they are gathered; and in order to preserve them, spread them very thin on a boarded Floor, leaving the Windows and Doors open, and turn them once a Day till they are dry; after which pack them up in Barrels, so that no Air may come to them, and they will keep good all the Year. Some, when they are dry, throw them altogether in a Heap in a Corner of the Room, where they continue till wanted for use; but the Berries will not keep so well by this Method as by being packed in Casks; they are subject to contract a Mouldiness, which will give a Taste to the Goods, greatly to their Disadvantage.
Some Distillers as soon as their Berries are gathered, put them into Casks, and cover them with Spirits of Wine; by this Method the Berries are indeed well preserved, without any Danger of contracting an ill Smell, which they are very apt todo by the other Methods unless the greatest Care be taken; but then it must be remembered, that the Spirit will extract great Part of their essential Oil, in which their Virtues consist, and consequently the Berries themselves will be rendered of little Value. If, therefore, you preserve your Berries in this manner, you should put into each Cask or Jarr, only the Quantity you use for one Charge of your Still; and when you have occasion to use them, put both the Spirits and Berries into your Alembic.
Thus your Berries will be finely preserved, without any Loss either of their essential Oil, or the Spirits made use of to preserve.
Take of Juniper-berries three Pounds, Proof Spirit ten Gallons; Water four Gallons. Draw off by a gentle Fire till the Faints begin to rise, and make up your Goods to the Strength required with clean Water.
The Distillers generally call those Goods which are made up Proof by the Name of Royal Geneva; for the common Sort is much below Proof, ten Gallons of Spiritbeing sufficient for fifteen Gallons of Geneva. Nay, what is generally sold at the common Alehouses is made in the following manner.
Take of the ordinary Malt Spirits ten Gallons; Oil of Turpentine two Ounces, Bay Salt three Handfuls, Draw off by a gentle Fire till the Faints begin to rise, and make up your Goods to the Strength required with clean Water.
In this manner is the common Geneva made, and it is suprizing that People should accustom themselves to drink it for pleasure.
There is a Sort of this Liquor calledHolland’s Geneva, from it being imported fromHolland, which is greatly esteemed.
The Ingredients used by theDutchare, however, the same as those given in the first Recipe of this Chapter, only instead of Malt Spirit they useFrenchBrandy. In the first Part of this Treatise we have sufficiently shewn the Nature ofFrenchBrandy, and in what its Excellence consists; and, also, that by the Help of a clean Spirit, Cordial Waters may be made with the same Goodness as those drawn withFrenchBrandy. If therefore the Distiller be careful in distilling and rectifying his Malt Spirit, he may make Geneva equal to that of theDutch, provided it be kept to a proper Age; for all spirituous Liquors contract a Softness and Mellowness by Age, impossible to be imitated by Art.