The Cranky Cocktail: An Applejack Cocktail A Day...

The Laird family own the oldest distillery in the United States, with the first recorded commercial sale of "cyder spirits" dating back to 1780. What they called cyder spirits then we would call applejack today, and it's a crying shame that such a historical and delicious tipple has fallen by the wayside. Laird & Company is still making the stuff today, and it can be found in most PA state stores at a very reasonable price, usually on a shelf near the brandy.

While it is technically a fruit brandy, applejack actually has a character closer to a whiskey. That means that you can substitute applejack for whiskey in most drinks to interesting and often delicious effect. The Cranky Cocktail particularly enjoys a 'jack Manhattan, though he recommends dialing down the vermouth a notch. You can also use applejack in most recipes that call for Calvados, though you're going to make the drink a lot rougher and dryer. This is due, at least in part, with the fact that 'jack is a blended spirit, about two parts neutral grain spirits to one part distilled apple hooch.

Laird's also makes a most excellent straight apple brandy that The Cranky Cocktail actually prefers to your traditional european-style Calvados. It's arguably less mellow, but more than makes up for lack of smoothness in strength of character.

With the recent interest in candylike apple-flavoured abominations like the Sour Apple "Martini", is it too much to wish that applejack will see a resurgence in popularity? One can but hope, and in the meantime, complain that it hasn't happened yet.

Below please find the recipe for the Jack Rose, so named because of its rosy colour. Note that just because it's pinkish in hue doesn't make it a sissy-drink, unless it's served with a little umbrella (a garnish which automatically sissifies pretty much anything to which it's applied).