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 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.

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.

This next paragraph is incomplete

Give me leave, gentlemen, to publish this little workunder the patronage of the enlightened Legislatureof the state which I have chosen for my residenceis 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 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.

[Library stamp: IMPERFECT IN ORIGINAL]

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.

CHAPTER II.

OF THE FORMATION OF VINOUS LIQUORS WITH GRAINS, IN ORDER TO MAKE SPIRITS.

The art of extracting wine from the juice of the grape, not being the object of this book, I shall confine myself to what is necessary and useful to the distillers of whiskey; it is therefore of the vinous liquor extracted from grains, that I am going to speak.

The formation of that kind of liquor is founded upon a faculty peculiar to grains, which the learned chymist, Fourcroy, has called saccharine fermentation. Sugar itself does not exist in gramineous substances; they only contain its elements, or first principles, which produce it. The saccharine fermentation converts those elements into sugar, or at least into a saccharine matter; and when this is developed, it yields the eminent principle of fermentation, without which there exists no wine, and consequently no spirit.

Grains yield two kinds of vinous