108 On the Distillation of Spirits, &c. in Holland. 



question respecting the manner of improving and melio- 

 rating the distilleries in (liis country. 



I am perfectly aware that, treating on these particulars, 

 I shall not be able to explain myself m a language which is 

 not my native speech, with that purity and precision which 

 the importance of the subject requires ; but 1 shall endea- 

 vour to supply this deficiency by that veracity and frankness 

 ■which may naturally be expected from a man who is not in 

 the least connected with the distillers in this country, nor 

 anywise personally interested in concealing or altering facts,* 

 and who in this business looks out for no othtr reward but 

 the pleasure and satisfaction of being able to contribute his 

 mite to the public welfare, and to the preservation of the 

 health of so many millions of people, who may snfler either 

 from the ignorance or avarice of the distillers, — reserving to 

 myself only some peculiar manipulations, which have no 

 influence on the public welfare, and which can merely 

 serve the private purpose of distillers, who use and put 

 them in practice. 



On entering upon this subject I shall have no occasion 

 to enlarge on the quality of the grain, it being universally 

 known, that in order to produce a spirit which is pure, and 

 of a pleasant flavour, grain n>u3t be used which is pure, and 

 not spoiled by wet either in the field or the granaries. I 

 shall therefore confin-c my observations on the species of 

 grain, and observe in this respect, that the Dutch distillers 

 are perfectly acquainted with the manner of drawing spirits 

 from the malt of barley, as well as from unmalted barley 

 with a portion of malt added to it, in the proportion of a 

 third or fourth part ; and there are several petty distillers in 

 that country who still make use of that grain on account of 

 jt» low price ; and in general the spirit drawn from barley 

 is of a very pure and vinous nature, provided always that 

 the operatio i be conducted in that slow manner which shall 

 inQ developed in the sequel : nor is it less true, that all great 

 distillers in Holland arc convinced that malt yields not onlv 

 a purer spirit, but also a greater quantity than raw barley 

 ynixcd with malt, in the before-mentioned proportion, con- 

 trary to the general opinion of the distillers in this countr)^; 

 jind mv own experience has confirmed me in the above opi- 

 nion, if the malt be perfectly well made, for a very evident 

 reason. The artificial vegetation which the grain under- 

 goes disengages the saccharine matter, and renders it more 

 proper to be extracted by the water ; nay, it augments the 

 £ac^■harine matter contained in the grain. To be convinced 

 4 of 



