gallons, or upwards, by any dealer or retailer, from fruit of his own growth, 6s. 11d.; and for erery hogshead of such last mentioned cyder or perry, received into the possession of any person, to be sold by him, 7s. 8d. are to be paid: the total of these duties, after adding the annual one of 4s., will amount to 18s. 7d.—For every hogshead made in Great Britain, and sent or consigned to any factor or agent, who shall receive it for sale, to be paid by such factor 19s. 2d.; but, if the latter have paid the annual malt-duty of 4s., this sum is to be deducted from the 19s. 2d., no cyder or perry being chargeable with a higher duty than 19s. and 2d.—All these duties are payable to the Excise, and are drawn back on exportation; 3d. per ton being allowed.
Cyder is a cooling, pleasant, and wholesome liquor during the heat of summer, if it has been prepared without foreign ingredients, and properly fermented. On the contrary, when it is too new, or tart, or has perhaps been kept in leaden vessels; or the apples and pears have, after grinding them, passed through leaden tubes, we can by no means recommend it as a salubrious beverage; because that poisonous metal is easily dissolved by the acid, and thus gradually introduced into the body. However agreeably such cyder, or perry, may stimulate the palate, it cannot fail, sooner or later, to produce painful and dangerous colics, as it not unfrequently generates the most desperate and incurable obstipations, among those who accustom themselves to the free use of these liquors.
Cyderkin, Purre, or Perkin, is a liquor made of the murk, or lees remaining after the cyder is pressed: these are put into a large vat, with half the quantity of cold water, which has been previously boiled: if that proportion be exceeded, the cyderkin will be small. The whole is left to digest for 48 hours, when it should be well expressed: the liquor thus obtained is to be immediately barrelled, and closely stopped; it will be fit for use in a few days.
Cyderkin easily clarifies, and is used in many families instead of small beer: if boiled after pressure, with a proper quantity of hops, it may be kept for any length of time.
Cyder-Spirit, an ardent liquor, drawn from cyder by distillation, in the same manner as brandy is from wine. The flavour peculiar to this spirit is by no means agreeable; but it may, with care, be totally divested of it (see Charcoal, vol. i. pp. 492 and 493), and become an excellent substitute for those deleterious preparations, sold under the name of spirituous compounds and cordials. Wholesale-dealers have lately availed themselves of this liquor, and, after imparting to it various flavours, they vend it as a substitute for others, but especially by mixing large quantities of it with foreign brandy, rum, and arrack, without the remotest apprehension of such fraud being detected.
Cyder-Wine is a liquor made by boiling the fresh juice of apples: after being kept three or four years, it is said to acquire the flavour and colour of Rhenish wine. The method of preparing it consists in evaporating the juice in a brewing-copper, till one half be dissipated; the remainder is then immediately conveyed to a wooden cooler,
