BEVERAGES.

I drink to the general joy of the whole table,
And to our dear friend Banquo.--Shakespeare

ALLOW two quarts of blackberries and a pound of cut loaf sugar to one gallon of brandy. Put all in a large jug, cork, and set in the sun for two weeks at least. You may add whole spices, such as cloves and stick cinnamon.

Allow two quarts of huckleberries, one quart of blackberries and one pound of cut loaf sugar to two gallons of brandy. Put all in a large jug, throw in a handful of cinnamon bark, about two dozen cloves and a very little whole mace. Cork, and set in the sun for two weeks.

Grate over the sugar the peel of half the lemons you intend to use, and squeeze the lemons into it with a squeezer. Then beat up as many eggs as you intend glasses of lemonade. If you are making a quantity you may take one or two eggs less. Beat up the lemons and the sugar, next add water in proportion and then shake or beat the whole vigorously for a few seconds. Fill the tumblers half full of broken ice. Before serving shake again.

Heat one quart of milk with a pint of water and add a quarter of a pound of grated chocolate. If too thick add more milk, and sweeten to taste. Boil for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Beat up the yelks of two or more eggs light and add a spoonful of cold water or milk to the eggs before pouring the chocolate into it. This will prevent curdling. Return to the kettle and set on the back of the stove. Should be served immediately. Serve with whipped cream. A good substitute for this is made of the beaten whites of the eggs, thus: Beat up the whites of the eggs with pulverized sugar and cover the surface of each cup with the sweetened meringue before serving. Whipped cream, sweetened, is preferable. The meringue is more economical.

Take one or two teaspoonfuls of cocoa (according to the size of the cup) and the same quantity of pulverized sugar, add two teaspoonfuls of milk or water, and mix into a paste. While stirring, pour in slowly the rest of the milk or water. Now boil the cocoa for about two minutes in a closely-covered vessel. You may also prepare it according to Chocolate receipt.

There are so many ways of making good coffee that I hardly know which one to give you. I use a French coffee pot, to begin with, and the best Java and Mocha mixed. It must be fresh roasted, and not ground until you wish to use it. A millful of coffee for a family of eight is a good rule. Put the coffee in the filterer, pour boiling water over it, half a cupful at a time, and wait two or three minutes before you add the other half-cupful, and so on, until you have the desired quantity. Then begin to pour one or two cupfuls of the made coffee through the filter again; but, remember, the water must boil hard. This is very important if you wish good coffee, but do not let the coffee boil. Use cream and serve at once. If it is allowed to stand too long it will become flat and gray.

Lay a slice of lemon in the bottom of each cup, sprinkle with sugar, and pour hot, strong tea over it. No cream is used.

Allow one teaspoonful of tea for two cups of boiling water. Have the water boiling hard and pour over the tea about half the quantity required. Cover tightly, and let it stand where it will keep hot, but not to boil. Let the tea infuse for ten or fifteen minutes, and then pour more boiling water on it. If you wish to make just one cup of tea use a teaspoonful of tea.

Allow a teaspoonful of tea for each cup, put the tea in a porcelain-lined or china tea-pot, and pour as much cold water on it as you require for your tea. Set this in ice-chest for twelve hours or more. You will find this tea more delicate in flavor than when prepared with the boiling water. It will not have any bitter taste at all, which tea made with boiling water always has, if allowed to stand any length of time.

Press the juice of a lemon and a wineglassful of brandy into your tea. Serve in glasses with pounded ice, and sweeten as you would iced tea.

A delicious summer drink is prepared in the following manner: Crush a quart of ripe strawberries, pour a quart of water over them, and add the juice of two lemons. Let this stand about two hours, then strain over a pound of sugar, stir until the sugar is dissolved, and then set upon ice. You may add one tablespoonful of rosewater. Serve with chopped ice.

Roll the lemons on the table or between your hands until quite soft, say about three lemons to a quart of water; squeeze out every drop of juice; extract the seeds and sweeten to taste.

Do not put the ice in the lemonade, but have it chopped fine and put in the glasses just before serving. When wine is used take two-thirds water and one-third wine.

Pour boiling water over the lemons, being very careful to extract all the seeds. Bottle it and set it on ice. Sweeten only what is to be used and cork up the bottle again and return it to the ice chest. This is both good and economical.

(No. 1.) Press ripe red raspberries through a sieve, under which you have placed a fine cloth, so as not to have any seeds in the syrup. Pour the juice in a stone jar and let it sour for four or five days (even six days is not too long), then skim of the white sheet of foam that has risen to the surface and boil the clear juice, allowing a pint of sugar to a scant quart of juice. Boil until it is the consistency of syrup, then bottle it, and when cold cork and seal with sealing wax. This is the finest raspberry vinegar made, rather expensive, but two or three tablespoonfuls are sufficient for a glass of chopped ice and water.

(No. 2.) To six quarts of red raspberries allow one scant quart of white wine vinegar. Pour the vinegar over the fruit into a stone jar, cover and stir the fruit once every day for four or five days in succession, then strain through a jelly bag and boil, allowing a pint of sugar to every pint of juice. Skim off the scum that rises and cook until the consistency of syrup. When cold, bottle, cork and seal. It is not necessary to buy the choicest raspberries for this purpose. Your grocer, probably, may have a quantity of berries on hand that he can not dispose of for table use (which are good enough for this purpose), which you may buy at one-fourth the selling price.

Pick, stem and mash the currants, which must be very ripe. To two quarts of juice add two pounds of sugar and one pint of water, stir all together thoroughly, put in a clean cask, leaving out the bung and cover the hole with a piece of lace net. Let it ferment four weeks, then bottle and seal.

Take three pints of berries and one pound of loaf sugar. After measuring the berries, weigh the amount of sugar required and boil the sugar until it forms a syrup by adding a pint of water to two pounds of sugar. When perfectly clear put in the berries and stir them in the syrup with a silver spoon. Do not mash them or boil. When thoroughly heated remove from the fire and let the syrup run through a jelly bag, but do not press the berries. When the syrup is cold pour into bottles and seal. This syrup is a very refreshing drink, especially for consumptives, giving a teaspoonful at a dose. It has very soothing qualities. You may make a marmalade of the berries left in the jelly bag. They will keep until currants come into the market, then boil them with the currants, adding as much sugar as you have fresh fruit.

Dissolve in one quart of boiling water two cups of granulated sugar, add three-fourths of a cup of lemon juice, and lastly, one and a half pints of boiling milk. Drink hot, or cold with pounded ice.

Take three pounds of granulated sugar and one and one-half ounces of tartaric acid, both dissolved in one quart of hot water. When cold add the well-beaten whites of three eggs, stirring well. Bottle for use. Put two large spoonfuls of this syrup in a glass of ice water, and stir in it one-fourth of a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda. Any flavor can be put in this syrup. An excellent summer drink.

To one quart of boiling water add two ounces of cocoa shells which have been previously wet with a little cold water. Boil together one hour, strain, add one quart of fresh milk, and when it reaches boiling point remove from the fire and sweeten to taste. This is excellent for invalids.

Stir the yelks of six eggs with three-fourths of a cup of sugar until thick; then add gradually one quart of rich, sweet milk and one-half pint of best brandy and a little grated nutmeg. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth and add, mixing well. In winter you may heat the milk and drink hot.

Take four large, juicy oranges and six tablespoonfuls of sugar. Squeeze the oranges upon the sugar, add a very little water and let them stand for fifteen minutes; strain and add pounded ice and water.

Put red wine on to boil, add cinnamon bark, cloves and sweeten to taste. Boil covered and drink as hot as possible. This is an excellent remedy for diarrhea.

It is best to mix this in a large bowl and fill in glasses just before serving, and put a little of each kind of fruit in each goblet with pounded ice. To begin with, cut pineapple in slices and quarters, a few oranges and a lemon, sliced thin; one cup of powdered sugar and one tumbler of sherry wine. A few berries, such as black and red raspberries and blackberries, are a nice addition. Cover the fruit with the sugar, laid in layers at the bottom of your bowl with pounded ice; add the wine and twice as much water as wine; stir all up well before serving.

To each glass of wine allow one egg, beat up, and add sugar to taste. Add wine gradually and grated nutmeg. Beat whites separately and mix.

Boil two pounds of cut loaf sugar with two cups of water. When clear add the juice of four lemons, and when cold add a bottle of arrack. In serving take one part punch extract and two parts boiling water.

To one bottle of beer beat up the yelks of two or more eggs, with two heaping tablespoonfuls of sugar. Beat until light, and add the beer gradually.

To two bottles of beer allow one pint of milk, and heat each in a separate vessel. Beat the yelks of four eggs light, with half a cup of sugar. Add gradually the hot milk, stirring all the time, and then the boiling beer, stirring constantly. Serve immediately in glasses.

Is made by pouring two-thirds boiling water to one-third arrack or rum, and sweetening.

Take one bottle of white wine, one-half pound of sugar, in which you have grated the peel of one lemon, adding its juice, a pinch of ground cinnamon and six eggs. Beat all together over the fire until it reaches boiling point, remove from the fire and serve in glasses, hot.

To one gallon of brandy allow two quarts of cherries. Mash and pound them until all the stones are broken, put in the brandy and add a pound of cut loaf sugar. Set in the sun for two or three weeks, shake daily, strain and bottle.

Mash and pound the cherries until the stones are all broken, then press through a cloth. Use a pound of sugar to a quart of juice; boil, skim and bottle. When cold seal.

Steep three hours in a covered porcelain lined vessel five tablespoonfuls of whole flaxseed, one quart of boiling water and juice of three lemons (extract the seeds). Sweeten to taste. If too thick, add more water and then strain. Add ice for drinking, Excellent remedy for coughs.

Boil a few apples in a quart of water, and strain when soft. While hot, add a glass of good whisky, some lemon juice and sugar.

Take slices of toast (be careful not to have them burned), pour boiling water over them, cover closely and steep until cold. Strain and sweeten and add ice if advisable.

Pour boiling water over the bark and cover until cold, sweeten and add ice. For diarrhea.

Stir together one tumbler of sweetened milk and two tablespoonfuls of best brandy. Give only a few swallows at a time.
You may add an egg beaten light, then you have "Egg Punch."

Wash and pick over three tablespoonfuls of coarse barley, set on to boil with two cups of water, add a pinch of salt and strain.

Wash two tablespoonfuls of rice, put on to boil with two cups of water and a pinch of salt; strain and set on ice.

Tie up as much flour as your napkin will hold, set it on to boil in plenty of cold milk, and boil at least four hours, slowly but steadily, in an earthen milk bowl. Take out of the napkin, it will now be a solid ball; and scrape off the thick, yellow rind. Grate one tablespoonful, wet it with a little cold water, stir in half a cupful of boiling milk, add a pinch of salt and boil about five minutes. You may give this to baby in the worst cases of summer complaint. I know it is a positive cure for loose bowels with children. Keep it in a dry place and it will last for some time.

To one quart of blackberry juice add one pound and a half of the best white sugar, half an ounce of grated nutmeg, half an ounce of powdered cinnamon, a quarter of an ounce of allspice, one quarter ounce of cloves and a pint of best brandy. Tie the spices in a thin muslin bag, boil the sugar, juice and spices together for twenty minutes, skimming well, and add the brandy. Remove from the fire and set aside in a closely-covered bowl to cool. When cold, strain, bottle and seal.

Take good, pale sherry and boil down to quite a thick syrup, with loaf sugar; and then allow to cool. When cold mix with the chopped meat of a very fine, sweet melon, use only the heart of the soft red part, not any near the white rind. Freeze in a freezer as you would ice, but do not allow it to get too hard. Serve in glasses. You may use claret instead of the sherry. If you do, spice it while boiling with whole spices, such as cloves and cinnamon. Strain before adding to the melon.