For many a young lady (or gent, captivated by tales of orphan triumph in the face of adversity), the first indication that one might someday quite enjoy being able to quaff a grownup tipple came in the form of L.M. Montgomery’s classic Anne of Green Gables, in the infamous raspberry cordial scene. (Anne, believing she’s serving her dearest friend a benign mocktail, proceeds to get her rip-roaringly, burpingly drunk off of her guardian’s secret stash of red currant hooch). It is our pleasure to share with our now-adult audience the recipe for the good stuff–may you serve it knowingly this time, to your bosom friends, and may you all avoid tossing your cookies in the privet hedge afterwards.

From lmm-ane.net:

Ingredients

9 quarts fruits (red currants)
9 pints water (18c)
2 lb sugar (4 ½ c)
1 envelope dry yeast
additional sugar

Directions

1. Mash fruit, water, 41/2 c sugar and yeast together.
2. Let stand 9 days, stirring every day.
3. Drain overnight through jelly bag.
4. Measure juice. To each 4 c of juice add an additional 2 ¼ c sugar.
5. Let stand, covered ,9 days or until fermentation stops.
6. Filter thru fine cotton.
7. Put into bottles. Keep in cool cellar. Dont’ use for a year.
Note: Recipe comes from L. M. Montgomery’s own recipes, available in Aunt Maud’s Recipe Book edited by Elaine Crawford.