An Admirable Cool Cup

Ingredients

• 6 oz sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 lemons
• 1 bottle cider
• 3 wineglassful sherry
• 1/2 nutmeg
• balm
• brandy

Instructions

1. Weigh six ounces of sugar in lumps and extract the essence from the rind of a large fresh lemon by rubbing the lumps upon it.
2. Put them into a deep jug and add the strained juice of one lemon and a half.
3. When the sugar is dissolved, pour in a bottle of good cider and three large wineglassesful of sherry.
4. Add nearly half a small nutmeg, lightly grated.
5. Serve the cup with or without some sprigs of fresh balm or borage in it.
6. If closely covered down and placed on ice for a short time, it will be more agreeable as a summer beverage.
7. Acton's note: brandy is sometimes added, but is, she thinks, no improvement.