

Each bartender explained how and why they used applejack to enhance their cocktail’s charisma, sweetness and drinkability.
APPLEJACK MOONSHINE CLONE PROFESSIONAL
A few other cocktail professionals and I watched as nine professional bartenders designed and talked about the drinks they were making. My connection to applejack goes back to 2019, when I was asked to help judge The Barking Irons Applejack Summer Bartending Competition at The Talon Bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn. In particular, bartenders recommend using applejack to create Manhattans and Old Fashioneds It also makes a great substitute for bourbon to give your cocktails a little more character and sweetness. Finer applejacks can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks. Holman Distillery, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, makes an apple brandy that’s jacked in the traditional manner.Īpplejack can be enjoyed in any number of ways. However, at least one independent distillery is still creating applejack the old-fashioned way. It may or may not be aged in bourbon barrels.

In more modern times, the production of applejack has evolved, and distillers blend apple brandy and neutral grain spirits to produce a drink that’s usually around 80 to 90 proof and amber-brown in color. Removing water raised the alcohol content of the fermented apple cider from 5% to almost 40%.

As the barrels froze during the harsh winter months, the ice was regularly removed - a traditional distilling process called jacking. With its rich history as a classic cocktail staple by pioneer pre-prohibition bartenders, applejack is a natural progression as enthusiasts look to expand their cocktail experience and repertoire.”ĭuring colonial times, applejack was made from fermented apple cider that was stored outdoors in barrels at the start of a fall harvest. “Cocktail enthusiasts have been enjoying spirits such as bourbon and rye for a number of years now. Why is applejack making a comeback now? Lisa Laird Dunn, the Executive Vice President and World Ambassador at her family’s famous applejack distillery, told SPY that applejack appeals to craft cocktail lovers who have developed a taste for American-made brown liquors like bourbon. Located in Scobeyville, New Jersey, the Laird & Company distillery has been making apple brandy for 12 generations, and it remains one of the oldest family-run businesses in the country. In fact, the first commercial distillery in the United States has been making applejack since its founding in 1698. Surprisingly, applejack has actually been around a lot longer than bourbon or whiskey. Technically, applejack is an apple brandy, and you can make it from pretty much every apple variety known to man, from Red Delicious to Winesap. Typically, moonshine isn’t very easy on the palate, but modern applejack is sippable. If you were to imagine what a bourbon made from apples would taste like, you’re getting closer to the taste of true applejack. Notes of apple are definitely apparent in the smell and taste, and it reminds most people of bourbon or whiskey. To start, applejack is a powerful yet sweet spirit produced from apples (no surprise there). So What Is Applejack? And What Does It Taste Like?
APPLEJACK MOONSHINE CLONE HOW TO
In this article, we’ll explore the fascinating history of this moonshine and teach you how to enjoy it in modern times. I even judged an applejack cocktail competition in ye olde pre-pandemic days. Personally, I’m a big fan of this all-American spirit.
