SC - medieval times?

[Decker, Terry D.]

> The ever questioning Gunthar again. I'm assisting a lady in finding
> documentation on liqueurs, especially my rose petal liqueur. Now a
> couple of things I do know is that they were considered more medicine
> than drink and that they should properly be made with brandy. 

The idea that only brandy is an appropriate carrier for liqueurs comes
from the idea that only wine was distilled. Since beer was distilled, and
used in waters, at least, that idea is blown out of the water. I asked
once on SC-distilling about what the modern approximation would be for the
distilled beer or ale (Ras, you'll remember this, yes?) and didn't get
very far. Triple and quadruple distillings-- which remove more and more of
the original flavor-- were known and used, so I waver between whisky
(which is flavored already, so there's a problem) and vodka for a
replacement for the distillate of grain-based fermentation.

> Any thoughts? Would treatises on ladies distillation techniques have
> anything? Markham? Digby? or medical treatises?

Markham and Plat both have them, I believe. Markham does not give a
sweetened cordial, though, and I can't find my copy of Plat. *sigh* I wish
my car would stop eating my reference books.

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise	      jenne at tulgey.browser.net
disclaimer: i speak for no-one and no-one speaks for me.
   "My hands are small I know, but they're not yours, they are my own"