# The Bar-tender's Guide/Syrups, Essences, Tinctures, Colorings, &c.

Syrups, Essences, Tinctures, Colorings, &c.
These preparations consist of ingredients used in the following recipes for making Prepared Punches, Cocktails, etc.
Plain Syrup.
* Take 6½ pounds of loaf-sugar.
* Take ½ gallon of water.
* Take The white of 1 egg.
Boil until dissolved, and filter through flannel.
Gum Syrup.
* Take 14 pounds of loaf-sugar.
* Take 1 gallon of water.
Boil together for five minutes, and add water to make up to 2 gallons.
Lemon Syrup.
* Take 5 gallons of gum syrup.
* Take 4 ounces of tartaric acid.
* Take 1 ounce of oil of lemon.
* Take 1 pint of alcohol.
Cut the oil of lemon in the alcohol, add the tartaric acid, and mix thoroughly with the syrup.
Essence of Lemon.
* Take 1 ounce of oil of lemon.
* Take 1 quart of alcohol (95 per cent.).
* Take ½ pint of water.
* Take 1½ ounces of citric acid.
Grind the citric acid to a powder in a porcelain mortar; dissolve it in the water. Then cut the oil of lemon in the alcohol, and add the acid water.
Essence of Cognac.
* Take 1 ounce of oil of cognac.
* Take ½ gallon of spirits (95 per cent.).
* Take 1 gallon of spirits (70 per cent.).
* Take 2 ounces of strong ammonia.
* Take 1 pound of fine black tea.
* Take 2 pounds of prunes.
Dissolve the oil of cognac in the 95 per cent. spirits; cork it tightly in a bottle and let it stand three days, frequently shaking it, then add the ammonia.
Mash the prunes (breaking the kernels) and put them with the tea and the 70 per cent. spirits into a stone jar of 3 gallons capacity; cover closely, and let it stand for 8 days.
Filter the liquor, and add it to the solution of oil and ammonia. Bottle for use.
This quantity is sufficient for flavoring 100 gallons of brandy.
Solferino Coloring.
* Take 1 ounce of solferino.
* Take 1 gallon of alcohol (95 per cent.).
Put them in a bottle, shake well, and in 24 hours it will be ready for use.
Caramel.
* Take 7 pounds of loaf-sugar.
* Take 1 pint of water.
Crush and dissolve the sugar in the water; boil it in a 5-gallon copper kettle, stirring occasionally, until it gets brown; when it begins to burn, reduce the fire; let it burn until the smoke becomes offensive to the eyes; then try it by dipping a rod into it, and letting a few drops full into a glass of cold water; if it settles at the bottom and crystallizes, so that it will crack, it is done. Then take about half gallon luke-warm water, ​and pour it in by degrees, stirring all the time. When thoroughly mixed, filter it while hot through a coarse flannel filter.
Tincture of Orange Peel.
* Take 1 pound of dried orange peel (ground).
* Take gallon of spirits (95 per cent.).
Place them in a closely corked vessel for 10 days. Strain and bottle for use.
Tincture of Lemon Peel.
Cut into small chips the peel of 12 large lemons. Place it in a glass jar and pour over it 1 gallon spirits, 70 per cent. Let it stand until the lemon peel has all sunk to the bottom of the liquor. It is then ready for use without either filtering or straining.
Tincture of Cloves.
Take 1 pound of ground cloves; warm them over a fire until quite hot; put them quickly into a jar, pour on them 1 gallon 95 per cent. alcohol, cover them airtight, and let them stand for 10 days. Draw off into bottles and cork close.
Tincture of Cinnamon.
Place 2 pounds of ground cinnamon into a jar with 1 gallon 95 per cent. alcohol, closely covered. At the end of 8 days strain the liquor clear; wash the sediment with 1 quart proof spirits; strain it; mix the two liquors together, and filter through blotting paper.
Tincture of Allspice.
This is prepared in the same manner as tincture of cinnamon, using ground allspice instead of cinnamon.
Tincture of Gentian.
This is made with ground gentian in the same manner as for tincture of cloves.
Capillaire.
* Take 1 pint of clarified syrup.
* Take 1 wine-glass of Curaçoa.
Shake well together and bottle. A tea-spoonful in cold water makes a pleasant eau sucré.
Capillaire.
* Take 14 pounds of loaf-sugar.
* Take 2 quarts of water.
* Take 2 eggs.
Dissolve the sugar in the water, and let them simmer; when milk-warm add the whites of the eggs well beaten; simmer again and skim well. When cold flavor with orange-flower water, or bitter almonds, whichever may be preferred.
Ratafia.
Every liqueur made by infusion is thus called. When the spirit has imbibed thoroughly the flavor and color ​of the fruit steeped in it, the infusion is drawn off and sugar added; then filtered and bottled.
Aromatic Tincture.
* Take 1 ounce of ginger.
* Take 1 ounce of cinnamon.
* Take 1 ounce of orange peel.
* Take ½ ounce of valerian.
* Take 2 quarts of alcohol.
Macerate the ingredients in the alcohol in a close vessel for fourteen days, then filter through filtering paper. This is sometimes employed to give a flavor to milk punch, but it must be used with precaution. Ten drops are sufficient for a pint of punch.