The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-27

exclusively Tor the use Of the children oi ~
rapl and more especially for those who once
dwelt in the Sla,unic lands. but are now
lrlIe-hluc citizens of the New World. For
centuries this trade has endured. one year
rising high In prosperity. andanothor iaillng
into the abyss of bankruptcy. The ORTHODOX
jew. no matter how poor. wants some oi
the wines and liquors Of the Holy Lana,
and is willing to pay for the same, regard
less OF either quality or price. Al rare III
teryals wine is sent over in the "boilles' re-
iCrred tO ia the scriptures tough skins
which in turn are carefully boxed. The
GENTLE cask and glass bottles. however,
have pretty nearly driven the sheepskin
and gOaiskin vessels out of the market.
The "wel goods" of Judea and Us neigh
boring territory are Jerusalem VINE,
Jerusalem brandy. honey wine ana
Passover wine. Judging from samples al
the Custom House. the oriental j. poor
hand at Ninicuiture. II things were no
better eighteen centuries ago, IL is hard 10
understand how -. Paul could recommend
"a little wine for the stomach's sake but
very easy 20 realize how hideOusly drunk
Noah must have been IL he used similar
intOXicant. The wine is thick, muddy ana
coarse very like the homemade Nlniages OF
old New England housewives. 1t has a
rich bouquet and "a flavor suggestive oi
Tokav and Muscatcl. The brandy Is no
better than the wine. II is made from plulns
or pruncs. and il distilled and rectiled
in % way that seems 10 increase Inc
normal impurities OF raw spirit. ~ l.
above proof and seams the mouth and
throat ~ u il swallowed. The honey wine
and Passover wine are apparently varieties
Of the same kind Of liquor. The rabbis
claim TINT they are produced by icrmentlng
honey of one flavor and sWeetening the re-
suitingWine with honey OF a different llaNor.
" the claim is truthful. there is no fear oi
the bee ever becoming the rival Of the grape.
or the many honey wines and Passover
wines which come through the Custom
House. every one j. Hat, syrupy. and, To pat
il mildly, unpalatable.
An immense array Of curious stinulants
comes from the far East. China, Japan. and
Java. The OrientalS never have learned to
make ctlcrye-cont beverages, but outside OF
ih, they know a much about iermcntlng
and di.tilliug rs We Western blrharans.
I'm some respects they have gone further.
and utilized almost every vegetable from
which potable fluid could be- procured. \
parallel would exist if we made whisky
from rice. buckWheat and oats, or wine
from cantalOupcs, watCrmclOns ana pump
kius.
There is so great n variety 10 these East
crn liquor, that the government Classics
them roughly into wines. strong liquors,
cOrdials and medicines. OF these four
classes the representatives have sampled
,rp all well made None are bad in any re-
card and very few are extraordinarily at
tractiye. They average about ~ per cent
higher i'm quality and palatahiDty above the
average contents of "a iirst-class American
bar. The wines are manly fruit ilayors.
weak. thin. bat very fragrant Ihosc
made from almonds. roses and tea are
about the best. The strong liquors are
rumbcrloss, arrack. saki. sam-stl, ung-kl-
peh. no-ma-dhaio and hnk-uo-ma-sh1io are
The more common. These are distilled from
"a wort made from rice, pam-starch, yam
starch, millct and other nrinaceous sub
stances. uncOlOrcd or cOlOred with
caramel and favored with simple
or compounded vegetable extracts.
They are not 50 strong as our hard
liquors. nor. according 10 the people VINO
have used !ham 100 the East. as injurious 10
the system. The cordials are similar 10 our
own. hut not 80 sweet nor heavy. The
medicinal wines and liquors bear a strong
resemblance o. the "hitter-.' "tonlcs,' and
the like. Win which the shelves of our drug
stores are crowded. This is especially true
with preparations Qf ginger, peppermint,
qp.un. ginseng, and gcntian.
This long list of intoXicarts passes
through tine Custom House, leaving samples
n the appraiser, Office and in the lahord-
tory az The governments chemist. and then
passes 90 the people OF the United states
who come from the lands in which they are
manufactured. Tine variety, as well as the
quantity. OF thc impoItltiOu- increases
ever, Year. " mem tine ceascic-, influx a.
foreigners d. taken into consideration, il
M3t W..l Dee asked how much and how
mans OF these odtlandish drinks will Dc
passing the customs hundred year,
hence Sew = DIRK star.