† low-wines Obs.
Also 7 sing. low wine, 8 Sc. lowins. pl.
The first spirit that comes off in the process of distillation. (Cf. faints.)
| 1641 French Distill. i. (1651) 26 There will come forth a weak Spirit, which is called low Wine. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 93 The first Spirit that comes off, is a small Liquor, which we call low-wines. 1701 Lond. Gaz. No. 2717/1 An Act for Granting to His Majesty several Duties upon Low-Wines or Spirits of the first Extraction. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 91 Whauks o' gude ait-far'le cowins, Synt down wi' whey, or whisky lowins. 1820 Broderip & Bingham's Rep. I. 436 Terry v. Huntington, when the commissioners determined low wines to be strong waters. |