Is this a Recipe for Moonshine?

While visiting some old friends recently, they pointed out to me a box of recipes from the husband's grandmother. They hadn't taken the time to look at them, but I could not resist. Here is a recipe that puzzled me. As with many of the old recipes in the collection, this consists of a list of ingredients with no specified procedures. Not that I anticipate making anything of the sort . . . Prohibition being over for so long and all. If anyone can make sense of this, I would be curious.

Offhand, I'm guessing it's some sort of stomach ailment elixir, since it contains magnesium (as in milk of magnesia, etc.) and charcoal. But in the style of the day, it's mostly alcohol.

From the looks of it, I'm guessing it's a recipe for Gripe water.

Either that, or foaming soap (check out the bottom right of page 258).

Khaopaat wrote:From the looks of it, I'm guessing it's a recipe for Gripe water.

Either that, or foaming soap (check out the bottom right of page 258).

I would go with the "Gripe Water". Charcoal in soap seems a little weird unless you are making Trick Dirty Face Soap .

Seriously though, either charcoal or magnesium carbonate were used in making elixers as an aid in the "tituration" or pulverization of ingredients in a mortar, but they weren't normally used together .

"Moonshine" refers to the distilled spirits alone. That recipe uses the "moonshine" as a base.