One of my favorite parts of the Journal of John Tillary is:

24th March.— . . . “We were again visited by the Commissary General, who brought with him a bottle of Liquor called Jews’ Brandy, sent by General Bonaparte, who was the only Officer in the Camp had any, and he had only one bottle left. During the time we were drinking the Liquor he ordered the butcher to fetch two sheep and a lamb, the best he could get, and made a present of the sheep to us, and of the lamb to Sir Sidney Smith."

Can't ask for much more than that.

As it turns out, it's pretty easy to figure out exactly what was Napoleon's generous gift to the brave sailors of Sir Sidney's Tigre: "Mahia" brandy from Morocco, a fig brandy, flavored with anise.

There is a gent in Yonkers who brews it. His website tells the story. http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/112829/distilling-the-taste-of-morocco

You can even buy a bottle of Mahia, aka Napoleon's Jews' Brandy: http://www.astorwines.com/SearchResultsSingle.aspx?p=2&search=27111&searchtype=Contains

Even more fun is that it is possible to directly trace what constitutes Jews' Brandy back to 1815; in that year, James Riley, an American ship captain whose ship wrecked on the African coast, wrote a book about his adventures, "An authentic narrative of the loss of the American brig Commerce: by , Andrus & Judd, 1833" in which he describes a Sabbath with a Jewish family, it includes.. "Jews’ brandy, distilled from figs and anniseed, and bittered with wormwood, makes up the repast of the Jews who call themselves rich." Apparently, this book is considered an important source on Jewish history, see https://books.google.com/books?id=oohY_3hMFS8C&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101&dq=brandy+figs+and+aniseed,+and+bittered+with+wormwood&source=bl&ots=K_LbUdKG27&sig=bJ5m1ezXwDyJpdXwf39iuzXnzCQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim0IDC_I3RAhUI1WMKHdG7A4EQ6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=brandy%20figs%20and%20aniseed%2C%20and%20bittered%20with%20wormwood&f=false

So, my plan is to acquire a bottle of Mahia, aka Napoleon's "Jews' Brandy" and raise a toast to the east and Napoleon, Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, Gunner’s Mate John Tillery, and Captain James Riley, "gentlemen, Cheers!"