Washington Sentinel

A French Cider

Consular Reports for October 4 states that the French people are using American dried apples largely in the preparation of "piquette," a sparkling, fruity beverage made by fermenting together dried apples, raisins and water. The use of wine in France is diminishing largely for the reason that French wine is believed by the masses to be adulterated. This may or may not be true, but the belief promotes the consumption of cider made from apples and pears. Piquette is a mild cider and has the merit of selling for 2 cents a glass. For 20 cents a man may drink for two hours without feeling the effect of the little alcohol he will have consumed. The drink is, in fact, a "family tipple," being commonly made by adding five pounds of raisins to five pounds of dried apples and five gallons of water. After fermenting in a cask the product is bottled with a little sugar, or may be consumed without bottling. In 1898 France produced 50,000,000 gallons of this beverage.