Applejack

How is Applejack made?

Applejack starts with fermented apple cider that gets distilled in copper pot stills, concentrating the alcohol and apple flavors into a clear spirit. Traditional American applejack producers often use a blend of apple varieties and may age the distilled spirit in charred oak barrels, which gives it a golden color and adds vanilla and caramel notes. Some historic producers still use the old freeze-distillation method called "jacking," where frozen cider gets concentrated by removing ice crystals, though most commercial operations now use conventional distillation.

How do you drink Applejack?

Applejack shines brightest in classic cocktails like the Jack Rose, Applejack Sour, and Pink Lady, where its apple character plays beautifully with citrus and other spirits. While purists enjoy sipping quality bottlings neat or on the rocks to appreciate the fruit-forward complexity, most people encounter applejack mixed into drinks rather than straight. These apple-driven cocktails feel perfectly at home during fall gatherings and crisp autumn evenings, though a well-made Jack Rose can brighten up any season with its rosy hue and balanced tartness.

How do I choose good Applejack?

Start by deciding between straight applejack and blended versions – straight applejack offers more intense apple character and complexity, while blended applejack (mixed with neutral spirits) provides a smoother, more approachable flavor that works well in cocktails like Jack Rose or Applejack Sour. For sipping neat or in spirit-forward drinks, look for aged expressions from producers like Laird's Straight Apple Brandy, which showcase the fruit's natural sweetness balanced with oak and spice notes. If you're mixing cocktails that call for applejack's distinctive flavor without overwhelming other ingredients, the classic Laird's Applejack blend remains the gold standard that most cocktail recipes were designed around.

Nutritional Information

Typical Calorie Range per Ounce: 64-69 calories

Typical Carbohydrate Range per Ounce: 0-0.1 grams

Typical Sugar Range per Ounce: 0-0.1 grams

Typically Gluten Free: Yes

Note: While applejack is generally considered gluten-free since it's distilled from apples, production methods can vary between brands. Always check the specific product label and manufacturer information to confirm gluten-free status if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Scrolled this far? Your reward? Applejack Trivia!

1. George Washington was basically running a bootleg applejack operation. Mount Vernon's distillery wasn't just making whiskey – they were freeze-distilling applejack using a technique called "jacking." Washington's slaves would leave barrels of hard cider outside during winter, skimming off the concentrated alcohol as the water froze. The Founding Father was literally making moonshine before it was cool.
2. Applejack nearly caused a tax revolt before whiskey did. In 1681, William Penn tried taxing applejack production in Pennsylvania, sparking fierce resistance from colonial farmers. This mini-rebellion predated the famous Whiskey Rebellion by over a century, proving that Americans have always been serious about their right to distill fruit into liquid happiness.
3. The phrase "applejack and peel" doesn't mean what you think. This old tavern expression referred to a drinking ritual where patrons would twist fresh apple peels while sipping applejack, then toss the peels over their shoulders. The shape the peel made when it landed supposedly revealed the first initial of their future spouse. Colonial Tinder, if you will.
4. Applejack was the original energy drink for lumberjacks. In 19th-century logging camps, workers received a daily ration of applejack mixed with hot water and spices, called "stone fence." This potent morning brew kept them warm during brutal winter work and gave them the liquid courage to fell massive trees with nothing but axes and saws.
5. New Jersey became the applejack capital because of shipwrecked Spanish sailors. In the 1600s, Spanish galleons carrying apple seeds were wrecked off the Jersey coast. The seeds washed ashore and grew wild, creating massive apple groves. Local Dutch and German settlers, already skilled in brandy-making, saw opportunity and turned New Jersey into America's applejack headquarters – all thanks to maritime disasters.