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THE ART
OF
MAKING WHISKEY,
SO AS TO OBTAIN A BETTER, PURER, CHEAPER AND GREATER QUANTITY OF SPIRIT,
FROM A GIVEN QUANTITY OF GRAIN.
ALSO,
THE ART OF CONVERTING IT INTO GIN.
AFTER THE
PROCESS OF THE HOLLAND DISTILLERS,
_WITHOUT ANY AUGMENTATION OF PRICE._
By ANTHONY BOUCHERIE,
OF LEXINGTON, KY.
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH
BY C. M*******
LEXINGTON, KY.
PRINTED BY WORSLEY & SMITH.
1819
[Transcriber's Note: This edition is from Microfiche. All copies that
I've found are marked "Photographed from an imperfect copy." Printer
errors have been left as is, but noted. We cannot account for the
accuracy in some of the numbers, where the original was exceptionally
difficult to read. Where applicable, any changes are noted with a [TR].
Any other inconsistencies were left as in the original. A Table of
Contents has been included in the HTML version.]
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
_District of Kentucky, to wit:_
Be it remembered, That on the 10th day of December, in the year of our
Lord, 1818, and the forty-third year of the Independence of the United
States of America, came ANTHONY BOUCHERIE, of the said district, and
deposited in this office, a copy of the title of a book, the right
whereof he claims as author and proprietor, in the words and figures
following, viz:
_"The Art of making Whiskey, so as to obtain a better, purer, cheaper
and greater quantity of Spirit from a given quantity of Grain: Also, the
art of converting it into Gin, after the process of the Holland
Distillers, without any augmentation in the price.--By Anthony
Boucherie:"_
In conformity to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled "An
act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps,
charts and books to the authors ann [TR: and] proprietors of such copies
during the times therein mentioned." And also to an act, entitled "An act
supplementary to an act, entitled an act for the encouragement of
learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books to the
authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein
mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing
and etching historical and other prints."
JOHN H. HANNA,
_Clerk of the District of Kentucky._
[Library stamp: IMPERFECT IN ORIGINAL]
TO THE
HONOURABLE LEGISLATURE
OF THE
STATE OF KENTUCKY.
GENTLEMEN OF THE SENATE,
AND OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
_An immense and most fertile country, a republic where every individual
enjoys the most unbounded freedom; such are the advantages which
characterise the United States of America, and render them the asylum of
the oppressed Europeans. I was one of the number, and as early as
January, 1808, congress enacted a law dispensing me with the usual term
of two years residence, for obtaining a patent._
_It is the duty of every citizen to contribute to the progress of useful
knowledge, for the benefit and prosperity of his native or adopted
country. It is under that point of view that I now publish_ The Art of
Making Whiskey, so as to obtain a greater quantity of Spirit from a
given quantity of Grain; the spirit thus obtained being purer and
cheaper. Also, the Art of converting it into Gin, according to the
process of the Holland Distillers, without making it dearer.
[TR: This next paragraph is incomplete] _Give me leave, gentlemen, to
publish this little w--[TR: work?] under the patronage of the
enlightened Legisl--[TR: Legislature?] of the state which I have chosen
for my--[TR: residence?] is undoubtedly of a general utility fo--_ _but
more particularly an agricultural state, such as this, where every thing
that contributes to the success of agriculture, adds to the welfare of
the commonwealth. It is therefore to promote that desirable end, that I
hereby renounce all the privileges granted me eight years ago, for the
distiller's apparatus, of which I give here a description. I invite all
distillers to use it the more confidently, as a long experience has
proved to me its utility. In describing the art of converting Whiskey
into Gin, according to the process of the Holland Distillers, I flatter
myself, that I give a greater value to a national production usually
neglected througout [TR: throughout] the continent, and which will be
the principle of a considerable produce. Henceforth the Gin of the
United States will be an important article of exportation for their
outward trade, as well as for home consumption._
_Receive, gentlemen, the
Assurances of my
Profound Respect,
A. BOUCHERIE._
PREFACE.
The most usual drink in the United States, is whiskey; other spirituous
liquors, such as peach and apple brandy, are only secondary, and from
their high price and their scarcity, they are not sufficient for the
wants of an already immense and increasing population. As to wine, in
spite of all the efforts and repeated trials made to propagate the
grape-vine, there is as yet no hopes, that it may in time become the
principal drink of the Americans.
To turn our enquiries towards the means of bringing the art of making
whiskey to greater perfection, is therefore, to contribute to the
welfare of the United States, and even to the health of the Americans,
and to the prosperity of the distiller, as I will prove in the sequel.
The arts and sciences have made great progress; my aim is to diffuse new
light on every thing that relates to the formation of spirituous liquors
that may be obtained from grains. Most arts and trades are practised
without principles, perhaps from the want of the means of information.
For the advantage of the distillers of whiskey, I will collect and offer
them the means of obtaining from a given quantity of grain, the greatest
possible quantity of spirit, purer and cheaper than by the usual
methods. I shall then proceed to indicate the methods of converting
whiskey into gin, according to the process of the Holland Distillers,
without heightening its price.
If the principles hereafter developed are followed, the trade of
distiller will acquire great advantages, that will spread their
influence on agriculture, and consequently on commerce in general.
THE ART OF MAKING WHISKEY, &c.
CHAPTER I.
OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, OR SPIRITS.
Spirituous liquors are the produce of vinous ones, obtained by the
distillation of these last. The art of making wine is of the remotest
antiquity, since it is attributed to Noah; but that of distilling it, so
as to extract its most spirituous part, dates only from the year 1300.
Arnand de Villeneuve was the inventor of it, and the produce of his
Still appeared so marvellous, that it was named Aqua-Vitæ, or _Water of
Life_, and has ever since continued under that denomination in France;
Voltaire and reason say that it might, with far more propriety, be
called _Aqua-Mortis_, or Water of Death.
This liquor, called in English, _Brandy_, received from the learned the
name of _Spirit of Wine_; time improved the art of making it still
stronger by concentration, and in that state it is called _Alcohol_.
All spirit is the distilled result of a wine, either of grapes, other
fruits, or grains; it is therefore necessary to have either wine, or any
vinous liquor, in order to obtain spirits.