This page contains material referenced in my Tales of the Cocktail 2022 seminar “Secrets of the Earliest Distillation Books.”
References
Doctors and Distillers [amazon][bookshop]
Short History of the Art of Distillation [amazon][bookshop]
The Distiller of London [amazon][bookshop]
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails [amazon][bookshop]
Every Home A Distillery [amazon][bookshop]
Early Distillation Books
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1476 or 1478 A Very Useful Little Book on Distillations (82 herbal recipes) [cannot find English translation]
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Michael Puff von Schrick of Augsburg Germany/Austria: A Very Useful Little Book on Distillation – In German
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about: https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2019/03/19/of-unica-andunicorns-identifying-unique-holdings-at-nlm/(1501 edition) book page images here
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Earliest printed distillation book according to A History of the World in 6 Glasses
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1500 and 1517
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My translation of the section: The Virtues of Aqua Vitae https://www.alcademics.com/2022/06/the-virtues-of-aqua-vitae-from-a-1512-book.html
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Hieronymus Brunschwig and his own 1500 book Liber de arte distillandi de simplicibus (often called the Small Book of Distillation) was the first printed manual exclusively on distillation. Brunschwig also published a larger book twelve years later that many refer to as the Large Book of Distillation.
- 1509 version in German https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/liberderartedis00brun
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First part of 1527 but not including herbal or distillation recipes https://www.scribd.com/document/320057285/1527-The-Virtuous-Book-Of-Distillation-Of-The-Waters-Of-All-Manner-Of-Herbs-pdf
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In olde English full text https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=eebo;idno=A03318.0001.001
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Some of these used aqua vitae as an extraction agent; also a recipe for aqua vitae, but not a book of drinks
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Article about the book https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/5268093#S4
- 1527 version
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- 1534
- Stefan Falimirz, On Herbs and Their Potency, Poland [cannot find English translation]
- Stefan Falimirz, On Herbs and Their Potency, Poland [cannot find English translation]
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1559
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A new booke of destillatyon of waters, called the Treasure of Euonymus by
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doesn’t look like there is a modern translation, just old english text version
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The treasure of Euonymus conteyninge the vvonderfull hid secretes of nature, touchinge the most apte formes to prepare and destyl medicines, for the conseruation of helth: as quintesse[n]ce, aurum potabile, hippocras, aromatical wynes, balmes, oyles perfumes, garnishyng waters, and other manifold excellent confections. Wherunto are ioyned the formes of sondry apt fornaces, and vessels, required in this art. Translated (with great diligence, et laboure) out of Latin, by Peter Morvvying felow of Magdaline Colleadge in Oxford.
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Author: Gesner, Konrad, 1516-1565.
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1561
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The Secrets of Lady Isabella Cortese was published by the eponymous alchemist. It contained information on making gold and creating a universal medicine but also recipes for soaps and toothpaste (made from white wine) and a recipe to “straighten out the member” consisting of quail testicles, large-winged ants, amber, musk, and oil made from elder and tree resin.
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1576
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The newe iewell of health wherein is contayned the most excellent secretes of phisicke and philosophie, deuided into fower bookes. In the which are the best approued remedies for the diseases as well inwarde as outwarde, of all the partes of mans bodie: treating very amplye of all dystillations of waters, of oyles, balmes, quintessences, with the extraction of artificiall saltes, the vse and preparation of antimonie, and potable gold. Gathered out of the best and most approued authors, by that excellent doctor Gesnerus. Also the pictures, and maner to make the vessels, furnaces, and other instrumentes therevnto belonging. Faithfully corrected and published in Englishe, by George Baker, chirurgian.
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Author: Gesner, Konrad, 1516-1565. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A01658.0001.001?rgn=subject;view=toc;q1=Distillation+–++Early+works+to+1800
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1585, then 1596
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Huswifes_Jewell
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The Good Huswifes Jewell 1596 – Distilled Medicines (search for styll and still)
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1594 Divers Chimicall Conclusions Concerning the Art of Distillation by Hugh Plat (intro – geared toward women see Every Home a Distillery p34) https://www.google.com/books/edition/Diuers_Chimicall_Conclusions_Concerning/nsw_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
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1597
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Herball, Generall Historie of Plants by John Gerard, 1597
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1600 (approx)
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The Margaret Manuscript (probably written for and not by Lady Margaret Clifford, Countess of Cumberland
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1600/1602
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Delights for ladies to adorn their persons, tables, closets, and distillatories, with beauties, banquets, perfumes, and waters. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A09713.0001.001?view=toc
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1615
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The English Huswife, 1615
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Wormwood water – dstilled beer with wormwood, anise, and licorice. and “sweet water” made two ways that are like rose waters, distilled with water not alcohol
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1639
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The Distiller of London
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1651
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A description of new philosophical furnaces, or A new art of distilling, divided into five parts. Whereunto is added a description of the tincture of gold, or the true aurum potabile; also, the first part of the mineral work. Set forth and published for the sakes of them that are studious of the truth.
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Author: Glauber, Johann Rudolf, 1604-1670. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A86029.0001.001?rgn=subject;view=toc;q1=Distillation+–++Early+works+to+1800
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1652
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https://web.archive.org/web/20200429203738/https://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/herbs/english-physician/
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1653
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The art of distillation, or, A treatise of the choicest spagiricall preparations performed by way of distillation together with the description of the chiefest furnaces & vessels used by ancient and moderne chymists : also, A discourse of divers spagiricall experiments and curiosities, and the anatomy of gold and silver with the chiefest preparations and curiosities thereof, together with their vertues : all which are contained in VI bookes / composed by John French …
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1665
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The Queen’s Closet Opened (alchemy)
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1666
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Benevolent and Easy Chemistry (1666), by Marie Meurdrac (alchemy)
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1669
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The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Kt. Opened. Whereby is Discovered Several Ways for Making of Metheglin, Sider, Cherry-wine, &c., Together with Excellent Directions for Cookery: as Also for Preserving, Conserving, Candying, &c https://books.google.com/books?op=library&hl=en Cookbook for women, 1/3 of recipes alcohol related (not sure if any distilled though)
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1677
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The curious distillatory, or, The art of distilling coloured liquors, spirits, oyls, &c. from vegitables, animals, minerals and metals … containing many experiments … relating to the production of colours, consistence and heat … : together with several experiments upon the blood (and its serum) of diseased persons, with divers other collateral experiments / written originally in Latin by Jo. Sigis. Elsholt ; put into English by T.S. …
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Elsholtz, Johann Sigismund, 1623-1688., Sherley, Thomas, 1638-1678. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A39317.0001.001?rgn=subject;view=toc;q1=Distillation+–++Early+works+to+1800
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1686
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The Lady Sedley’s Receipt Book, 1686, and other Seventeenth-century Receipt Books. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/003591571300601513
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1725
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1727
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The Country Housewife and Lady’s Director Second Edition – has distillation recipes https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Country_Housewife_and_Lady_s_Directo/nppgAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1
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1730ish
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George Smith
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A compleat body of distilling, explaining the mysteries of that science, in a most easy and familiar manner; containing an exact and accurate method
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1700s – Lots of Cookbooks, London, also used in US
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1747 Glasse, Hannah The Art of Cookery
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1753
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The New English Dispensatory https://euvslibrary.com/?page_id=198
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1757
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The Complete Distiller https://euvslibrary.com/?page_id=198 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/65020/65020-h/65020-h.htm
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1796 AMERICAN COOKERY
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1808
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The family receipt-book; or, Universal repository of useful knowledge and experience in all the various branches of domestic oeconomy. Including scarce, curious, and valuable, select receipts, and choice secrets, in cookery, medicine … with specifications of approved patent medicines; all the most srviceable preparations for domestic purposes; and numerous successful improvements in the ornamental as well as useful arts, manufactures, &c. extracted from the records of the Patent Office; and translated from foreign books and journals in all the languages of Europe –Recipes for household stuff, then distilling on page 368 https://archive.org/details/b21531420/page/n1/mode/2up
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1813 Hall’s Distiller https://books.google.com/books/about/Hall_s_Distiller.html?id=DflAAQAAMAAJ