Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-13


the recipes are quite interesting. For En-
artificial rum, two ounces of citric acid.
three ounces of essence of orange or
lemon, two ounces of tincture of vanilla,
three drachms of tincture of cinnamon and
four pints of alcohol. adding one gallon OF
spirits. For milk punch add to the ABOVE
eight pints of milk when ready for use.
1t is further stated that by combining
sherry and various other wines win aru-
fetal rum or artificial cognac navorng WIN
lemon, orange, cinnamon, etc., ana add-
ing tea or different extracts, a great num-
Der of appetizing punches may be pre-,
pared, which, well iced. may be served
at the soda water counter with carbonated
water" This, of course. applies particu-
larly to temperance towns.
To make ginger ale. take fifteen ounces
of ground ginger root, six ounces of sliced
meg, six drachms of vanilla beans, two
ounces of cinnamon, fifteen grains of cap
sicum-presumably the same kind that is
used for porous plasters-and OF Ordinary
commercial alcohol sufficient"
To distinguish counterfeit distilled liquors
with sufficient certainty to swear to their
character in court is very difficult, even ior
the best-equipped expert This IS SO pc
cause they are precisely the same chemi-
cally as the veritable articles which they
initiate. AS has been said. the favoring
compounds are Identical In their nature
with the others and acids naturally pro-
duced. The object of the present work,
which has only just been taken up. Is 70
enable chemists all over the country 10
acquire a better knowledge as to means
for detecting such frauds. With this end
in view they will study samples Of the ar
tificial liquors produced in the govern
Inent laboratory. For some years past the
Department of Agriculture has been en-
gagged in Investigating fermented bever-
ages, including ales. beers and wines. In
the case of beer the most common cheat Is
the substitution of glucose or hominy gr1ts
for malt
Artificial Wines.
Wines are sophisticated chiefly by fortify-
ing them with alcohol derived from grain.
The law permits the fertilization Of wines
up to % per cent of alcohol, but 1t Is re-
quired that the alcohol shall be obtained
from grapes. Wines wholly artificial are
made by taking cologne spirits and re-
ducing them to 10 or 20 per cent Of alco-
hol by adding water, then putting in the
requisite few ounces of flavoring essences
and coloring. The coloring employed Is
usually cochineal or aniline red. But no
artificial wines worth mentioning are made
in the United States, simply because those
produced by nature are so cheap. Good
| claret can be bought in California for %
cents gallon. If the grape owners could
| get that price right along they would be
| glad. Grapes are sold now in that state
| for IS to so a ton. In fact, prices are SO
low that thousands of acres of vineyards in
CaHIOTula nave Deeu piOuSueN up Wlthu
| the last three or four years and turned to
better-paying uses.
| Nearly all wines are blended. They &c
| from the vineyards to the wine houses
| where the blends are made for what are
known as standard brands. There is nc
| objection to this. Quite the contrary. in
| fact, inasmuch as the consumer could moi
| otherwise get the same sort of wine twice
| running. for the reason that the favors an6
other characteristics Of the products Of
| different vineyards vary. The demand fol
r 'brut" wines is very limited any way. A
"brut" wine Is one that Is obtained from 6
| single vineyard and has no blend. Some
| champagnes are "brut," but they are hare
to get 1t is not easy to find in one locality
| an area, with all the climatic and othel
conditions suitable for grape-growng. which
| Is large enough to supply the market witt
brand peculiar to itself. Thus it come
| about that practically all of the STANDARD
wines both in this country and abroad ar
blended.
Notwithstanding the fad for the import
| ed'' article, champagnes are now made II
this country which are quite as good in al
respects as those of European make. 1t i
commonly stated that American cham
pagnes are apt to be artificially carbonated
This is of no Importance. If true. Chem
ically speaking 1t amounts to the sam
thing as natural carbonation. The onl.
material difference is that artifcially car
donated wine loses its life more quick,
when poured into a glass. If the carbona
ton is natural, though the wine may hav
stood long enough to look dead. shake o
the glass will cause fresh bubbles to ap
pear. The gas seems to exist in diferen
combination from that of the artificial gas
but even the chemists do not understand h
what the difference lies. Champagnes ar
usually fortified to some extent. some o
| them containing as much as % per cent o
alcohol. RENE BACHE.