Strong Claret-Cup

Ingredients

• about an ounce and a half of white sugar
• a table-Spoonful of hot water
• a whole bottle of claret
• two thin slices of lemon
• one thin slice of cucumber-peeling
• one sherry-glassful of sherry
• one table-spoonful of good brandy
• one table-spoonful of noyeau or maraschino
• a nutmeg

Method

1. 1

   Dissolve the sugar in hot water, then add a little claret.

2. 2

   Combine with a whole bottle of claret in a jug.

3. 3

   Add lemon slices, cucumber peel, sherry, brandy, and noyeau.

4. 4

   Grate nutmeg over the mixture.

5. 5

   Let it stand for 15 minutes, then taste and adjust flavors.

6. 6

   Add ice and soda-water carefully before serving.

Nutrition per serving

As published

This recipe was extracted from Practical home cookery (1906) by A. G. Payne, page 61. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

about an ounce and a half of white sugar, and dissolve it by pouring a table-Spoonful of hot water on it, and afterwards adding a little claret. I have always found this plan best, as otherwise the sugar is apt to settle at the bottom of the cup or jug, thereby often making the compound not quite sweet enough at starting, and a great deal too sweet at the finish. We will suppose, therefore, that the sugar is com- pletely dissolved, and added to a whole bottle of claret in the jug or cup selected for the purpose. Add two thin shces of lemon— cut across the lemon, care being taken to avoid any pips — and one thin slice of cucumber- peehng about as long and as broad as the first finger, and the thickness of the blade of a dinner-knife. Next add one sherry-glassful of sherry, one table-spoonful of ii8 PRACTICAL HOME COOKERY. good brandy — not some of that dreadful cheap brandy that smells like naphtha — and one table-spoonful of noyeau or maraschino. Rub a nutmeg about half a dozen times across the grater over the cup. Let the cup stand for about a quarter of an hour, and then taste it. Should the flavour of the cucumber be very decided, take out the piece of cucumber ; and the same as regards the lemon. Should the flavour of the peel of the lemon be detected, take out the two shces of lemon, for lemons vary immensely in strength. Now add a large lump of ice and a bottle of soda- water, taking care to pour the latter in carefully — i.e. to put the soda-water bottle almost into the cup. I have seen persons pour the soda-water from a height, thereby losing half the carbonic-gas, which ought to go into the cup to freshen it up, so to speak. All that the cup now requires is drinking. It is by no means a very cheap affair, as the sherry, brandy, and noyeau probably cost more than the claret. A cheaper form of cup, and one more suitable for use, as we have said, after cricket or rowing, is a bottle of claret with the same quantity of lemon, cucumber- peel, and sugar, two or three drops of essence of almonds, a large lump of ice, and two bottles of soda-water. One word, however, in reference to the lemoii proper not only for claret-cup, but for any other kind of cup. The lemon must be fresh — i.e. when it is cut it must have a Arm rim round it, yellow outside and white inside. An old lemon, that is soft and pulpy, with a hard, dry skin, and that smells sweet, is no good for claret-cup. In making champagne-cup it is still more important to have a good lemon. The method of making champagne-cup that I think best is so simple that it barely deserves the name of a recipe. It is as follows : — A bottle of champagne, COOLING DRINKS. 119 one or two thin slices of lemon

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.