Practical Man (A) The Vintner’s, Brewer’s, Spirit Merchant’s and Licensed Victualler’s Guide

London, W. Wetton [&c.], 1826.

First edition. 12mo. Half-title. 19th century full calf with gilt-roll border to covers, spine gilt compartments within gilt-decorated raised bands, with contrasting leather title label.

This work collects hundreds of recipes for fermented beverages – wines (foreign and domestic), malt liquors, cider, perry, vinegar, spirits, liqueurs, cordials, and compounds – alongside a wealth of supporting information. It opens with a history of wine and a treatise on brewing (porter and various ales), then turns to the fermentation and distillation of spirits “of every denomination,” including alcohol, brandy, rum, geneva (gin), and whisky. A fourth section covers cider, perry, mead, and vinegar, followed by chapters on cellaring wines, beers, porters, ales, and spirits, with guidance on refining and managing flavour, colour, and concentration as they age. The book closes with three technical chapters: data on hydrometers and saccharometers for the distiller, the Parliamentary laws governing licensed vendors (innkeepers and publicans among them), and several tables for converting weights and measures.