Warm your Bones

Warm your Bones

Here in Pennsylvania the place of the famous “Whiskey Rebellion" it is a cold rainy and generally dreary first day of fall, so I thought what a great day to tell my compatriots how the folks of the past may have enjoyed a way to warm their bones and chase away the cold winter chill that is just round the corner!

Wine gives courage and makes men more apt for passion. ~Ovid



Life's a waste of time, time's a waste of life so let's all get wasted and have the time of our life. ~Author Unknown

So we will present the thoughts of a “legendary Southern senator,” cited in Dr. Thomas Lowry’s classic; The Story the Soldiers Wouldn’t Tell: Sex in the Civil War*:

“Sir, you have asked my stand on the subject of whiskey. Well, if by whiskey you mean that degradation of the noble barley, that burning fluid which sears the throats of the innocent, that vile liquid that sets men to fighting in low saloons, from whence they go forth to beat their wives and children, that liquor the Devil spawns which reddens the eye, coarsens the features, and ages the body beyond its years, then I am against it with all my soul.

But, sir, if by whiskey you mean that diadem of the distiller’s art, that nimble golden ambrosia which loosens the tongue of the shy, gladdens the heart of the lonely, comforts the afflicted, rescues the snake-bitten, warms the frozen and brings the joys of conviviality to men during their hard-earned moments of relaxation, then I am four-square in favor of whiskey. From these opinions I shall not waver.”

These recipes are attributed to Civil War Cooking@ http://civilwarinteractive.com/CookbookBuzz1.htm

So here we go folks this is for ya’ll that think that the Southerners were cool, calm and collected here is a 1862 recipe for a Mint Julep!

3/4 to 1 cup brandy or cognac
1/2 tsp. rum
2 and 1/2 tbs. water
1 tbs. sugar
Several fresh mint leaves

Dissolve one tablespoon of white pulverized sugar in two and one-half tablespoons of water. Take two sprigs of fresh mint and press them well in the sugar and water, until the flavor of mint is extracted; add one wine glass of Cognac brandy, and fill the glass with fine shaved ice, then draw out the sprigs of mint and insert them in the ice with the stems downward, so that the leaves will be above, in the shape of a bouquet; arrange berries, and small pieces of sliced orange on top in a tasty manner, dash with Jamaican rum, and sprinkle white sugar on top. Place a straw [across the top of the glass], and you will have a julep that is fit for an emperor.
From Bon-Vivant’s Companion by Jerry Thomas, New York, 1862.


Did yall’ know that a fermented beverage similar to {apple cider} made from {pears} is called a “Perry”

So throw the first log of the fall fire in the fireplace,settle into your favorite spot kick your shoes off fill your favorite pipe FORGET your troubles and enjoy your favorite spirits to take the chill from your bones.

Happy Fall to All!!!

More recipes for spirits in the next post.

Thanks for the visit!

Dick Bloom