We have spoken of the difference in the odor between the English and French spirit; the marked distinction of British and Parisian perfumes made according to the same recipes is entirely due to the different spirits employed.  Owing to the strong “bouquet,” as the French say, of their spirit in comparison with ours, the continental perfumers claim a superiority in the quality of their perfumes.  Now, although we candidly admit that some odors are better when prepared with grape spirit than with that from corn spirit, yet there are others which are undoubtedly the best when prepared with spirit derived from the latter source.  Musk, ambergris, civet, violet, tubereuse, and jasmine, if we require to retain their true aroma when in solution in alcohol, must be made with the British spirit.

All the citrine odors, verveine, vulnerary waters, Eau de Cologne, Eau de Portugal, Eau d’Arquebuzade, and lavender, can alone be brought to perfection by using the French spirit in their manufacture.  If extract of jasmine, or extract of violet, &c., be made with the French or brandy spirit, the true characteristic odor of the flower is lost to the olfactory nerve—­so completely does the oeanthic ether of the grape spirit hide the flowery aroma of the otto of violet in solution with it.  This solves the paradox that English extract of violet and its compounds, “spring flowers,” &c., is at all times in demand on the Continent, although the very flowers with which we make it are grown there.

On the contrary, if an English perfumer attempts to make Eau de Portugal, &c., to bear any comparison as a fine odor to that made by Lubin, of Paris, without using grape spirit, his attempts will prove a failure.  True, he makes Eau de Portugal even with English corn spirit, but judges of the article—­and they alone can stamp its merit—­discover instantly the same difference as the connoisseur finds out between “Patent British” and foreign brandy.

Perhaps it may not be out of place here to observe that what is sold in this country as British brandy is in truth grape spirit, that is, foreign brandy very largely diluted with English spirit!  By this scheme, a real semblance to the foreign brandy flavor is maintained; the difference in duty upon English and foreign spirit enables the makers of the “capsuled” article to undersell those who vend the unsophisticated Cognac.

Some chemists, not being very deep in the “tricks of trade,” have thought that some flavoring, or that oeanthic ether, was used to impart to British spirit the Cognac aroma.  An article is even in the market called “Essence of Cognac,” but which is nothing more than very badly made butyric ether.

On the Continent a great deal of spirit is procured by the fermentation of the molasses from beet-root; this, of course, finds its way into the market, and is often mixed with the grape spirit; so, also, in England we have spirit from potatoes, which is mixed in the corn spirit.  These adulterations, if we may so term it, modify the relative odors of the primitive alcohols.