While we think of lemonade and possibly orangeade as classic summer drinks that can be made at home, other fresh fruits were used to make beverages in the Regency era. Think of it as historical kool-aid! Ok, that may be taking it a little too far, but still, check out these recipes!

No. 111. Fresh Currant Water.

TAKE a quart of fresh currants and squeeze them through a sieve with your hand ; put two large wooden spoonsful of powdered sugar and one lemon in it, and the rest water; make it to your palate; strain it through a sieve and it is fit for use.

No. 112 Cedraty Water.

TAKE a large wooden spoonful of the essence of cedraty, put it in a bason, squeeze three lemons; add three gills of syrup and all the rest water; make it to your palate, mind that all the essence is melted ; and if it is not rich enough put more syrup in ; pass it through your lawn sieve, and it is fit for use.

(Cendraty is known today as citron, a large lemon-looking citrus fruit.)

No. 115. Bergamot Water.

SQUEEZE six lemons, and to that add three gills of syrup, and let the rest be water; mind you make it rich before you put the essence in ; when it is to your taste, put a tea spoonful of essence of bergamot in; pass it through a sieve, and it is fit for use.

No. 116. Apricot Water.

TAKE two large spoonsful of apricot jam, and one gill of syrup; squeeze four lemons, put a handful of bitter almonds pounded and a little powdered sugar in the jam, so as to make it have the same bitter taste as the kernals of the apricots ; let the rest be water, and make it palatable; pass it through a very fine lawn sieve, and it is fit for use.

Bergamot is a variety of orange and is the predominant flavor of Froot Loops cereal and Earl Grey tea.

No. 114. Fresh Raspberry Water.

TAKE one pint of fresh raspberries, and pass them through a sieve with a wooden spoon ; put two large spoonsful of powdered sugar in, squeeze one lemon in, and let the rest be water ; make it palatable, and put a little cochineal in to colour it; pass it through a sieve and it is fit for use.

No. 118. Fresh Strawberry Water,

TAKE one pottle of strawberries and pick the stalks from them; pass them through a sieve with your wooden spoon ; and put in two large spoonsful of powdered sugar; squeeze one lemon and let the rest be water; make it palatable, pass it through a sieve, and it is fit for use.

No. 121. Pear Water.

GET some large pears, rasp them into a bason ; if your pears are large four will be sufficient, if small, six or eight; squeeze six lemons, put in four gills of syrup and let the rest be water; make it rich and palatable, pass it through a lawn sieve, and it is fit for use.

No. 122. Cherry Water.

TAKE one pound of Kentish cherries, pound them in a mortar so as to break the kernels of them ; take the cherries and kernels, put them into a bason and add four gills of syrup ; squeeze four lemons in, and let the rest be water; make it palatable, pass it through a sieve, and it is fit for use.

References

Nutt,  Frederick. The Complete Confectioner ; Or, the Whole Art of Confectionary: … By a Person, Late an Apprentice to the Well-known Messrs. Negri and Witten ..London: Printed for the Author, 1807.

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