Comment: This recipe is subtitled “From a recipe in the possession of Charles G. Leland, Esq.”, and a footnote to the 1934 reprint of the work notes that Leland was “An American author whose fame rests chiefly on the Hans Breitman Ballads. He was editor of The Illustrated News in New York for many years before the Civil War, and wrote many books. He also contributed to Graham’s Magazine, which published much of Edgar Allen Poe’s work.”  That seems like a bit of a stretch for a brush-with-greatness connection, and a rather unkind swipe at Mr. Poe’s famous fondness for excess in matters of drink besides. As to the drink itself, the claim that this is “sufficient for one person” has, we hope,  to be either a joke or a misprint. Aside from the alcohol involved, the thought of consuming almost a pound of sugar for a night’s drinking should bring on psychosomatic diabetes.  And also…yuck.

One-third pint of lemon juice
Three-quarters pound of white sugar
One pint of mixture, composed of one-fourth pint of peach brandy, one-half pint of Cognac brandy, and one-fourth pint of Jamaica rum.
Two and one-half pints of cold water

The above is generally sufficient for one person.

From The Bon-Vivant’s Companion, or, How to Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas, 1864

          

Six lemons, in slices
One-half gallon of brandy
One-half gallon of Jamaica rum
One pound of white sugar
One and three-quarters quarts of water
One pint of boiling milk

Steep the lemons for twenty-four hours in the brandy and rum; add the sugar, water and milk and, when well mixed, strain through a jelly-bag.

From The Bon-Vivant’s Companion or, How to Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas, 1864 (recipe from 1928 reprint edited by Herbert Asbury)

Comment: Jerry Thomas is widely considered to be the “father” of the cocktail, and the prototype of the bartender to the upper crust of society (to distinguish the occupation, of course, from the slovenly, greedy, dishonest “innkeeper” who ran the taverns serving the lower classes.)  He spent some years in California, with two interesting results. First, he seems to have discovered (he did not claim to invent, but printed the first recipe for) the martini, in those days called the “Martinez.” Second, despite the frequent visits of Russian ships in California ports, he seems never to have heard of vodka. This is sad.