Image: Y-Worth, W. (William) · Public domain
The Compleat Distiller
- Year
- 1718
- Era
- 18th century
- Origin
- England · Europe
- Language
- English
- Category
- Single-subject
The Compleat Distiller, issued by George Smith in 1718, stands among the most systematic English-language treatments of the still and its operations in the early eighteenth century. Covering apparatus, the rectification of spirits, and the preparation of cordial waters from herbs, fruits, and seeds, it served both the trade distiller and the domestic practitioner, and was reprinted in several editions through the mid-century.
Cooking from this book
Plague Water
Signature dishMore restorative cordial than dish, Plague Water is the kind of fiercely aromatic spirit that defines George Smith's treatise. A compound distillate built on wine or brandy and a thicket of herbs and roots, it was prized in early Georgian England as a prophylactic against fevers and contagion. Its inclusion in The Compleat Distiller signals the book's reach beyond the tavern into the still room and apothecary, where craft, medicine and household economy met.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
