Old-time recipes for home made wines, cordials and liqueurs from fruits, flowers, vegetables, and shrubs

This modest volume invites listeners into a quiet New England summer home, where the author first discovered a world of homemade wines, cordials, and liqueurs. The introduction sketches colonial houses, widowed hostesses, and polite calls that always end with cake and a glass of something bright. From that gracious invitation springs a collection of recipes that feel like memories passed down through generations.

The recipes cover a surprising range—sweet dandelion wine, delicate cowslip cordial, robust currant liqueur, and even vegetable‑based punches. Each entry outlines the essential steps—boiling or cold‑fermenting the juice, adding sugar and yeast, and letting the lees rest for later use—while emphasizing fresh, hand‑picked produce. Brief historical notes pepper the text, recalling old taverns and garden parties that once celebrated these drinks.