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 Cordial is a fairly sweet fruity beverage usually based on Brandy, Vodka or white wine. In "texture" it is similar to liqueurs. What makes the Cordial sweet is sugar syrup, I'm not certain, but you might be able to make it with honey, or for a distinctly Northeastern flavor, maple syrup. Experimentation, as always, is the key to success. The nice thing about Cordials and Elixirs is that you can make very small quantities to "see if it works." Make the sugar syrup by dissolving 1 cup of sugar in ½ cup boiling water. This makes about 2/3 cup of sugar syrup.
The basic recipe is then:
1.5 cups of ripe sweet fruit, berries, peaches, nectarines, peeled oranges. Anything but bananas.
Herbs of choice
3 cups of Vodka or Brandy or 2 parts Vodka and 1 part Brandy, or substitute white wine for the Brandy.
¾ cup of the sweetener.
Lightly crush the fruit and with the herbs add to the alcohol. Pour into a wide mouth jar, cap and store in a cool, dry, dark place for 2-4 weeks. Strain and filter, squeezing the mass of berries and herbs in a cheese-cloth to extract all the juice. Add the sugar syrup rebottle and let mature for 4-6 weeks. You could potentially add more herbs to the second part of the process then strain again and bottle for storage. What herbs to use depends on what the final product will be used for. Before including any herbs always make sure to know all of their properties and how they will interact with each other. A simple after dinner cordial could be made with raspberries, mint and a bit of ginger. Both the mint and the ginger are beneficial to good digestion.
Another way of making cordials using fruit concentrate, not to be confused with frozen concentrated fruit juice. This one is a good daily tonic taken in 1/8 cup doses. I've included a variation for women. (This recipe is from the course entitled: The Science and Art of Herbology by Rosemary Gladstar.)
½ part Saw Palmetto berries (men) for women use Dong Quai
2 parts Wild yam root
1 part Sarsaparilla
2 parts Sassafras
1 part Astragalus
2 parts Fo-ti
2 parts Damiana
1 part Eleuthro (Siberian Ginseng)
2 parts Ginger
2 parts Licorice (optional)
1 part Star Anise (optional)
Panax Ginseng roots, if you can afford then 2 good size roots per quart.
Place the herbs in a clean wide mouth jar and cover with good quality brandy. Put the lid on and let sit for 6-8 weeks. Strain. To each cup of liquid add ½ cup of black cherry concentrate, not a fruit juice. Be sure this is a concentrate not a fruit juice, you can find them in well-stocked natural food stores. Do not be tempted to add more than ½ cup of concentrate per cup of brandy as this could cause spoilage. Shake well, re-bottle. If you used Ginseng roots, you can add these back to the liquid. This strong herbal tonic will taste like a rich liquor and is excellent for you. Store as always, in a cool, dark, dry place.
Note:The herbs in this recipe can be substituted to suit personal needs.
Elixirs
An Elixir is by definition an herbal extract containing both alcohol (generally wine) and water. Because of the choice of fluid, it will need to be refrigerated once it is made. This description is from Paul Beyerl (see Bibliography) and is for ritual purposes.
His basic method begins with the selection of herbs. This choice is determined by which qualities and changes you are seeking to impart in time you will be using the Elixir. An Elixir of this type like a medicinal preparation is made to be used daily for a specified period of time, a solar or lunar cycle for instance. The major difference being one of attitude. You don't just swallow an Elixir of this type, you bring to the act of taking it all the focus and dedication of ritual; meditate, light a candle, call upon you Gods if you like.
Selecting the herbs can be a complex process, you might want to begin with a simple combination of two to three herbs or just one. Paul's recipe uses 100 grams of herbs steeped for days in 1.5 liters of a rosé wine. "Days" could be up to 2 weeks. After the wine has extracted all of the alcohol soluble constituents, the mixture is thoroughly filtered. Setting aside the alcohol, the herbs are steeped in hot water as for a normal infusion, several hours to overnight. Put the herbs in a jar, pour in the hot water which should cover the herbs, cover and let sit. This is then filtered several times till it passes cleanly through a paper coffee filter. Both extractions are mixed together and the elixir is stored in a corked jug in the refrigerator. A small amount, about ½ a wineglass is decanted for use, in his case, every morning.
The herbs for one Elixir he made consisted of Birch bark, Bayberry, Lovage, Kava kava, Damiana, and Rowan berries. Another had Birch bark, Angelica, Lovage, Arnica, Rowan berries and Solomon's Seal.
These choices suited his purposes as should yours. Knowledge of the herbs and experimentation are your keys to success. |
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