Episode 13: Laird's Applejack

Episode 13 features Laird's Applejack. It's 35% apple brandy and 65 neutral grain spirit, bottled at 40% alcohol by volume, 80 proof. Bottled by America's oldest family-run distillers.

Enjoy this episode with some Applejack neat or with a Jack Rose cocktail!

Laird's Applejack official website: https://lairdandcompany.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

1698 - William Laird first makes a distilled apple spirit in New Jersey
1717 - Applejack made at the Colts Neck Inn in New Jersey
1760 - George Washington asks for and receives the Laird recipe for Applejack
1780 - Robert Laird founds Laird & Company and the US Department of the Treasury issues them license number one
1849 - The distillery at the Colts Neck Inn burns
1851 - Distillery established at Scobeyville, New Jersey
Prohibition years - The Lairds sell non-alcoholic apple products
1933 - Issued a license to produce Applejack for "medicinal purposes"
Post Prohibition - the company thrives and acquires competitors
1970s & 80s - Expand to non-apple based spirits and begin importing wine.
2010 - Applejack makes up about 5% of Laird's total sales

Key Cocktail:

Applejack is one of the oldest American distilled spirits, so it fetures in many vintage cocktail recipes. That said, it's great just sipped neat or on the rocks.

The classic cocktail for Applejack is the Jack Rose. It's said on the Laird website that: "The Jack Rose is to Applejack what the Martini is to gin."

Make is by shaking over ice and straining into a coupe or martini glass the following:

2oz. Applejack

3/4oz. fresh lemon juice

1/2oz. grenadine

Enjoy!

References:

CNN Business Company Profile Video from 2010

Wikipedia article on Laird & Company

Wikipedia article on Applejack

Wikipedia article on Johnny Appleseed

Colts Neck New Jersey History