Brandy and Sugar

Many 19th century recipes specifically called for white sugar, which is more refined and preferred over browner sugars. But modern white sugar is probably too refined, making raw cane sugar the best, easily available choice.

The new general availability of ice in the mid 1800s revolutionized bar-tending and drinking. Ice was delivered in blocks that then had to to be broken, crushed, picked and shaved for increasingly popular individual drinks (as opposed to large punches).

Brandy (from brandywine, derived from Dutch brandewijn—"burnt wine") is a spirit produced by distilling wine, the wine having first been produced by fermenting grapes. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink. While some brandies are aged in wooden casks, most are colored with caramel coloring to imitate the effect of such aging.