Recommended The Bar-Tender's Guide by Jerry Thomas (1862, p.89) — Jerry Thomas 1862
| 8 oz | Carbonate of soda — carbonate of soda | base |
| 3 dash | lemon essence — essence of lemon | other |
| 6 oz | Tartaric acid — tartaric acid | other |
| 32 oz | sugar — loaf-sugar | sweetener |
- Mix the dry carbonate of soda, tartaric acid, powdered sugar, and lemon essence intimately.
- Keep the mixture in a closely corked wide-mouthed bottle.
- To serve, put two good-sized teaspoonfuls into a tumbler, pour in half a pint of cold water, stir briskly, and drink off.
- Nose
- Bright lemon and active soda lift from the glass immediately.
- Palate
- It is lively, fizzy, and intentionally light, with the sweetness and acid balanced around a quick burst of sparkle.
- Finish
- The finish is clean, brisk, and short.
- Summary
- A portable effervescent powder that shows refreshment becoming shelf-stable and modular.
Sherbet is especially important because it captures the portable powder logic of nineteenth-century refreshment. It stands at the intersection of pharmacy, domestic convenience, and early soft-drink culture.
Dryness and storage are essential. If the powder picks up moisture, the whole point of on-demand effervescence is lost.
This is less a single drink than a technology for making drinks quickly. That makes it a vital part of the non-alcoholic side of the ontology.