lid On the Distillation of Spirits, ^c. in Holland. 



give is by no means inferior, from the precautions attended 

 to in the operation. 



Wheat mixed with a portion of barley malt, in the above- 

 mentioned proportion, yields more spirit than barley, and 

 of a vinosity and fineness of taste which exceed all belief; 

 and the distillers in Holland, who wish to produce a very 

 fine geneva, make use of wheat, and sell this spirit to pri- 

 vate persons, who desire to have it, at double the price of 

 common geneva ; and if the fermentation and distillation 

 be conducted with prudence, a spirit may be drawn from 

 it wliich equals the spirit of wine in vinosity and flavour. 

 I have known a distiller in Rotterdam who sold his spirit 

 drawn from wheat for true French spirit of wine ; and in 

 order to give it this flavour he made the grain ferment with 

 the dried lees of wine, which he procured from France, in- 

 stead of barm ; the lees of wine having this advantage, that 

 thev procure a slow fermentation, and, as they contain a 

 considerable quantity of essential oil of wine, they commu- 

 nicate to the spirit the flavour of the wine from which they 

 are taken. In Westphalia, and throughout the whole circle 

 of Lower Saxonv, no spirit of wine is to be found anywavs 

 passable, although the distillers follow the process observed 

 in Holland in regard to the composition, without acting 

 upon the principles of the Dutch distillers with respect to 

 the fermentation and distillation, excepting the bishopric of 

 Hildcrshcim and its environs, where the distillers make use 

 only of raw wheat mixed with a small portion of malt ; and 

 this proves the superiority of wheat above all other species 

 of grain. 



Notwithstanding all these advantages, wheat is not made 

 use of in Holland for common or general use, as experience 

 has proved that rye, which in ordinary times is much 

 cheaper thaii wheat, gives nearly a third more spirit than 

 wheat, and that by the way of proceeding they have at- 

 tained the art of drawing from it a vinous and pleasant spi- 

 rit, and in point of salubrity by no means inferior to that 

 drawvi from barley or wheat, na}', perhaps superior in this 

 respect to the t'vo others. Previously to my entering upon 

 a minute account of the distillation made use: of and prac- 

 tised in Holland, I ought to observe, that it must not be 

 •iipposed that all the distillers scattered through that coun- 

 trv arc able to make good spirits. Vou find, on the con- 

 trarv, in many places vcrv bad geneva ; it is only the great 

 distillers in Schiedam, \\^elsep, Rotterdam, and in general 

 rh« distillers iu the province of Gucldres, who are capable 



