elder wine

Wine made from the fruit of the elder-tree. It is sometimes used to adulterate port wine. elder-flowers, s. pl. Mat. Medica : Sambuci flores ; the recent flowers of Sambucus nigra . They yield Aqua sambuci , elder-flower water, when ten pounds of flowers are distilled with two gallons of water, one gallon being distilled over. The water is used in the mixing of medicines. It is a gentle stimulant. The berries of elder are used to give a special color and flavor to port wine. The coloring matter is obtained by digesting elder-berries with alum and water. A piece of flannel mordanted with alu minium acetate, heated for some time in the suspected wine, then washed, and immersed in water rendered faintly alkaline with ammonia, becomes green if the wine is pure; but dark brown if black elder is present. ( Blyth : Practical Chemistry.)