Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-30

Queer Liquids That Are National
Drinks-Where They Are Produced.

The drinks or beverages Of the people Of all
countries are usually derived from some indi-
genous vegetable product such as srains
roots. the sap Of trees, the Juice Of fruits. &c,
and it would seem il many Of these must
have been popular for unknown generations
Some OF these beverages are said TO be mod
erately pleasant, others highly intoxicating,
while no doubt large number evidently de-
rive their popularity from the Same principle
that makes nasty American patent medicine
tolerable. viz: from the varying amount Of
alcoholic spirit which they contain. A brief
glance At some of the less-known national
drinks in the light OF their composition may
not be out of place in this season of thirst and
relaxation. One fact may be noted which lie
as true Of the best-known drinks as those about
to be considered. and that il that IL is ex-
uemely difficult to obtain any palatable re-
freshing drink without a small portion of alco-
hol forming part Of its constituents. Ii may be
said. also, that the manufacture and consump-
ton of drinks depend much upon the supply
OF raw material available. although in rich and
civilized countries the home deficiency can be
easily supplied by importations.
In some localities cider is popular and cheap:
the percentage of alcohol in cider ranges from
81 to per cent. the latter proportion, how
ever being largely exceeded in the very
hard" varieties. The production of cider in
France varies considerably year by year. 1t 10
largely produced however, and principally
consumed In the country districts, very little
being exported. The best cider is said TO be
made In Normandy, where it was introduced
many years since by the Moors, but cider is
made in no fewer than ffty-four departments
OF France. Cider and perry (the lat Jer being
made from pears) are also largely made in
England, while IN the United States and the
Dominion of Canada the former is very largely
produced, being the favorite beverage of the
farmer. and the only one which is more or less
alcoholic that the temperance politician has 1t
all tolerated. In Chill, after making cider and
wine from their apples they extract from the
refuse white and finely favored spirit and
by another process they procure a sweet sirup,
or, as they term il, honey. When properly fer
mented and prepared the black mulberry
yields a pleasant vInous liquor. In the cider
counties of England mulberries are sonnet mes
mixed with apples to form a beverage known
mulberry cider.
The fishermen of Newfoundland, Labrador
and the Gulf OF st. Lawrence. and indeed
many Of the people living in that region,
drink large quantities of spruce beer Ii is
considered corrective of the fshermen's
diet, which consists largely of salt pork and
fish. The process of making it Is simple.
Black spruce branches in sufficient quantity
are chopped into small pieces and put into
pot containing six or eight gallons Of water
and boiled for some time. The liquor is then
| strained and put into cask that will contain
! eighteen gallons. Molasses is added in the
proportion OF one gallon TO eighteen gallons
of liquor; pint of the grounds of the last
brewing, and a few hops. If at hand, are also
put in, and the cask is filled up with cold water
and left to ferment. In twenty-four hours il
is fit for use, Spirits are frequently mixed
with spruce beer to make the drink called
''callibogus." In New Zealand a drink some
what resembling spruce beer is made from the
twigs of the dracrydium taxifolium; il was
used by Capt Cook. From the sap OF the
birch tree some of the tribes of northern Rus
STA prepare their ordinary drink .birken-
wasser," from which they also make vinegar;
and in some districts they boil it into a sweet
slrup which serves them instead of sugar
For those who are too poor to drink beer or
mead this northern wine is the only potiye
drink.
drink delightfully."- acid and refreshing is
made in Brazil from the pulp of the capsule
which envelopes the seed of the cacao-theo-
broma. The saccharine liquor extracted from
the unexpauded flowers of the Ita palm of
British Guiana is said to afford a liquor re-
sembling champagne in its briskness. The
sap Of the Sontar palm is obtained from the
stems of the punches of fruit when cut This
liquor is drunk either fresh or after it has
undergone a slight fermentation. 1t bears also
the name OF towak, or palm wine. Sometimes
species of strychnos is infused with it, which
produces a Supplying and intoxicating bev-
erage, sold daily in the bazars in Molluccas
especially in Amboyns, in sections of bamboo
Palm wines are common IN most warm eli
mates. In the Eastern Archipelago the
wine is obtained from the gomuti palm.
The principal production of this palm is
| teddy (irom the Sanscrit tade). which is OBJ
| tanned in the following manner: One of
the spadices is, on the first appearance of
the fruit. beaten on three successive days with
a small stick, with view of determining
the flow of sap to the wounded part The spa
dix is then cut a little way from its root or
base, and the liquor which pours out is re-
ceived In pots OF earthenware and sections of
| bamboo or other vessels. When newly drawn
| the liquor is clear and In taste resembles fresh
mint. In a very short time it becomes turbid,
whitish and somewhat acid, and quickly runs
into the vinous fermentation. acquiring an in
toxicating quality. In this state great quanti-
ties are consumed. In Ceylon, Madras and
other parts of India teddy is obtained from
| the sap Of the palmyra palm and there are two
kinds, the unfermented juice called sweet
toddy, and the fermented, or ''culloo." The
sap of the wine palm, called bourbon" and
'lope," is much relished by the savage tribes
of West Africa. Other of their fayorite inebri-
ants are ''wawa" or plantain wine and
'bombe," small beer made Of grain. The lat
ter is served in neatly carved and colored
gourds, and the contents are imbibed through
a reed. The cool, refreshing milk of the cocoa
nut is highly esteemed, aud many other palms
are brought into requisition for beverages.
In Siam, China and Japan rice is the princi-
pal grain used for distilling, and forms the
'an" Of Siam, the "shonchou" and IMAM
DARN" wine of China the sake" of Japan, and
the ''badek" and 'brom" of Java. In China
the rice wine they use is by no means agree
able. 1t is always taken hot, and some what re-
sembles Madeira wine in color and taste. The
Malays have a fermented liquor made from
rice which they call ''gelang." The Javanese
liquor, 'brom, is prepared from the fermen-
tation Of rice and is a kind of beer, and not the
product of distillation. The fine arrack IA
name derived from the ''srak," the Arabic
word for ardent spirit) is an invention and
manufacture of the Chinese, of which the ma
terials are boiled rice molasses and palm wine.
Sake, or rice beer, is the principal and almost
only alcoholic beverage of Japan. Until the
last two or three centuries sake was not manu-
featured on large scale, but each household
made its own supply. Now there are very largo
breweries Of this liquor in different parts
of the country. There are O great many varie-
ties of sake to be obtained in commerce, differ
ing somewhat in taste and flavor and price,
and distinguished by fancy names. The pro-
portion of alcohol in sake varies from TO IS
per cent. The sake Of Japan is very heating
and heavy and appears to be as vinous in quail
ity and strength as European and beer. 1t
is favored with honey or sugar. Indians Of
Chilli make q drink of maize or corn The grain
is first baked. then stepped in water for a GER
tain time, after which il is boiled and set by to
settle and when fined it is fit to drink.
Indian corn is largely used for distillation
throughout North America, and in South
America il appears to have been made into
''chica" or maize beer at a very remote period,
for it was a common drink Of the Indians be-
fore the Spanish conquest The liquor is said
to be of q dark yellow color, with an agreeable,
slightly bitter taste. IL is in universal demand
on the west coast Of South America and is con-
sumed In large quantities by the mountain