If you ask most people what the quintessential American spirit is, they’ll default to bourbon (or whiskey in general). I disagree, and the history backs me up. The first licensed distillery in the US, which happens to still be in operation and family owned, was to Laird & Company. They make several products, all based on apples.
What is applejack (other than a sugary breakfast cereal)?
The traditional way to make applejack requires cold weather, which is in abundance in the northern US. You ferment apple cider, and let it freeze. Since alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, the water freezes and can be removed (this same process is used in the making of Eisbock beers). The colder the temperature, the more water removed.
This allowed for preservation, as the higher alcohol content meant that the applejack would keep without going sour. The downside is that it does not remove impurities from the fermentation process. Same as ethanol (grain alcohol, AKA the good stuff to drink) gets concentrated, so does the fusel alcohol (bad tasting, linked to hangovers) and methanol (wood alcohol, AKA drink and go blind). Thankfully, both fusel and methanol production from standard fermentation will generally not lead to dangerous levels even after concentration. There’s a lot of back and forth on the forums I’ve haunted over the years as to if this is legal or illegal under the federal ban on home distillation. I’m not a lawyer, this is not a law blog, and I won’t give you legal advice.
In the modern era, the preference is to distill the fermented apple cider to avoid those impurities. The distillate can then be aged in barrels (used or new), and blended with other distillates to get the flavor profile desired. This does mean that neutral grain spirits can be added in order to hit the desired proof, all of the alcohol does not need to come from apples.
What does it taste like?
Most people, when I bring up the idea of a drink with applejack, immediately assume that the drink will be overly sweet. This is a fermented and distilled product, most of that sugar isn’t left by the time the yeast is done with it. Instead, there’s a bright apple flavor, which I really enjoy in many drinks. You can sub it out for apple brandy (or Calvados) in most recipes straight across.
What should I make with it?
You could always drink it straight, mix up a highball, or mull it. If you want to stick with cocktails, the traditional one is the Jack Rose:
- 6 part (1.5 oz) Applejack
- 3 part (0.75 oz) Lemon/Lime Juice
- 2 part (0.5 oz) Grenadine
The ratios I’ve listed above are the generally agreed upon modern standard. But the ratios go all the way from a 8:2:1 (2 oz:0.5 oz:0.25 oz) to a 1:1:1 ratio. Put those into your shaker, shake until combined and chilled, and strain into a coupe, cocktail, or Nick and Nora glass. Garnish is usually a lemon twist, but if you have some fresh apples, a thin slice of apple would work quite well (an apple rose would be next level).
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief and unfootnoted history lesson. And if you haven’t tried applejack before, I hope I’ve inspired you to give it a chance.
What is the practical ABV limit from freeze distillation?
Depends on how cold you can get it.
Nice to see the graph confirms my statement below 😉
👍
The chart show -20 degrees gets you to 30 percent alcohol by weight. Google says that is approximately 37.5% ABV.
So 80 proof brandy is possible at -25 degrees or so.
Get likkered up on Applejack and declare war on the Union.
I have accidentally left fermented hard cider outside to freeze before. Oops.
Also, why in 2026, can’t Americans distill their own hooch? Kiwis can. Germans can.
Taxes.
this
Taxes and Washington crushing the Whiskey Rebellion opposing those taxes in 1794.
Germans got home distillation? I was under the impression it was just New Zealand.
50 liters per year only for home consumption
pistoffnick:
Looks like that may have changed back in 2018:
Appears to have limited it to being able to process fruit/grain grown on your own land, not residential distillation.
Just came here to say I don’t really care what the government says is legal or illegal.
Going back to work now.
There’s a lot of back and forth on the forums I’ve haunted over the years as to if this is legal or illegal under the federal ban on home distillation.
You must have a federal license to concentrate alcohol {I’ve read the regulations}. Concentration is defined to include both distillation and fractional crystallization. That second one would be “freeze concentration”.
UnCiv, during a brutal Iowa winter (-25ish American degrees), you can double the alcohol level to “brandy levels”. So, ferment something out to 15ish percent ABV with wine yeast and get that to 30ish or more percent ABV (60 proof or higher).
Thank you.
You are welcome
And it is not illegal to concentrate alcohol. It is illegal to concentrate alcohol without a license and to not pay the taxes.
I’d like to think the 21A should allow states to make this legal, not that any of them want to get rid of the sweet sweet tax revenue.
I can neither confirm nor deny that I tried this with some apple wine I had sitting in a glass carboy that I never got around to bottling. I may or may not have racked it back into my plastic fermenting bucket. And it may or may not have been very successful, and quite tasty, but definitely not sweet.
Apple Jack is a cereal?
Did I forget something from my childhood?
She’s a pony. Everyone knows that. https://mlp.fandom.com/wiki/Applejack
Isn’t “She’s a Pony” a Tom Jones song?
Yes.
Wow.
I remember now.
My mother fed me like shit in the 80s.
We all ate like shit in the 80’s. Sugary cereal and pop tarts for breakfast, a brown bag lunch with a boloney sandwich, chips, and cookies. We weren’t allowed to drink pop, maybe because of the expense? But we got salty at my mom because she’d drink a Diet Pepsi with dinner.
But I only remember 1 or 2 fat kids in each class.
The big changeover to corn syrup and all the seed oils didn’t seem to hit until the early 90s.
Oreos went from lard to cotton seed oil in the early 90s.
McDonald’s made the transition to canola from tallow around the same time.
Pepsi went to corn syrup mid 80s. Cola about the same time or a little earlier.
We didn’t get much soda either. When we did it was a treat or when we were sick. Often the little cans.
My brother and I have birthdays one week apart, so we would get a combined party.
It was always a big deal to us because that was the one day we were allowed to have pizza and pop.
FWIW I was underweight and sort of hungry a lot. I think that was as common then as all the fatties are today.
Huh. Really good point, rhy, and a fantastic reminder.
There were certainly fewer fatties in my time than today, present but fairly rare. Hungry-thin kids were non-existent. That’s hard for me to actually imagine. It would draw attention and (good) outside help. Was in a good school district. Kyle sometimes was worryingly thin, but he has CF and sometimes had it rough. Now, he’s a remarkably fit runner. Good on him and all.
Something completely different.
Reserve not met
My wife wants an early Vega wagon.
I’ve always thought that an interesting car. Bonus is that it avoids the most problematic part of a Vega although no idea about that motor as it’s quite rare.
Our discussions about motor choice lead to supercharged Buick 231 bolted to a late model 700R4.
It’s the rust and scarcity that have held that project back from ever getting started. I’ve found a couple wagons but they were all junk.
I’m not super familiar with that motor. Is it cast iron? I’d want to keep the weight down as that’s part of the charm.
Last of the Buick motors, started as the 350 cut down to 6 cylinders as an odd fire, then even fire, slapped a turbo on it for the GNX and Regal type T.
Later Rivieras has the supercharged ones.
Pretty bulletproof bottom end, relatively small package.
Cast iron block.
Heyyyyy Oooohh!
That’s one I could afford with the money my insurance sent me. Imagine the looks I’d get pulling up to hockey practice in that baby!
I had a Vega at one point. It was one of the shittiest cars I ever owned.
But have you owned a Stelantis product?
I had a K car wagon as a beater when I moved close to NYC and street parked.
It was the worst car I’ve ever owned, but I understand its place in automotive history.
google says Stellantis was officially formed in January 2021
so no.
However, I do think I had a Dodge at some point during my streak of owning disposable cars in the years after I got married. Wouldn’t have been my choice, but something my in-laws gave me.
The K car was rough.
Like a step or two down from the Chevy Caviler at the time.
They did make a turbo K minivan that was a bit sporty when empty.
The Dodge/Fiat/Stelantis chain of ownership is fairly convoluted. Freightliner got folded into the mix at one point as well. It’s amazing any of the brands have survived
I’m rolling up to 3 years in on my Compass. Still very much like it.
I had a 76 vega for about 7 years, it was actually a decent car for that time, maybe I got lucky. Put about 140k miles on it.
@Threedoor – I’m a mechanic today because I owned an Omni GLH Turbo in my late teens/early 20s. Couldn’t not learn to be a mechanic driving a FWD turbo dodge from the ’80s.
We’ve found a movie for RJ.
It’s crazy the Metroid: Zero Mission model is now Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Environment, Chisato Morishita.
https://x.com/AsianDawn4/status/2036989802705453409
That doesn’t look like Samus.
Any crazier than the former parliamentary vice minister for foreign affairs?
I’m not super familiar with that motor. Is it cast iron? I’d want to keep the weight down as that’s part of the charm.
The Cosworth Vega? Aluminum twin can head on the cast iron Chevy block, as I recall.
I was talking about Threedoor’s Buick 231 dream.
As for the Cosworth – wasn’t the Vega an aluminum block? GM decided not to sleeve the cylinders and give it the smallest radiator possible. If the motor got even slightly hot hilarity ensued. I knew the Cosworth version was GM block with Cosworth heads, but not much else.
The Vega was introduced as an aluminum block with iron sleeves. This was done to save weight. However, the final engine weighed 200 lbs more than a traditional engine would have weighed.
As I recall, the first time they test drove the Vega at the track, the front end of the car broke off from the body due to the weight of the engine. {as recounted by De Lorean in “On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors”}
Wiki and other sources I’ve read said no sleeves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_2300_engine
In typical GM fashion the heads are cast iron.
Thanks Sensei.
Last of the Buick motors, started as the 350 cut down to 6 cylinders as an odd fire, then even fire, slapped a turbo on it for the GNX and Regal type T.
Is the “3.8 Buick” the same motor? I can’t keep track.
It’s an even gallon.
I thought the Vega came with the “iron Duke” 4 cyl. Shows what I know.
I love Applejack, but only the Laird one, others I’ve tried were not good.
I know I’m weird, but I like to put 2 oz into a glass of sweet tea.
It tastes mostly like tea and finishes with a real nice apple taste.
Laird’s apple brandy is also very good.
Unfortunately, here in Ohio, the only Laird product we get is the Applejack. There’s at least two in-state distilleries who make their own and distribute, with Tom’s Foolery being the largest (to my knowledge). I have yet to splurge for a bottle of their stuff, since it’s more than double the price of Laird’s.
In Virginia, we can’t get Laird’s, so I stock up when I go to Pennsylvania.
The applejack the VA ABC carries tastes like there is dirt in it.
I’m pretty sure I’ve bought Laird’s at my local ABC store.
It’s terrific in egg nog.
https://www.abc.virginia.gov/products/brandy/lairds-straight-applejack-86?productSize=0
https://x.com/HannahIamthest1/status/2037090906432528846
Voluntary or involuntary?
STEVE SMITH HAPPY TO RAPE SCREW AND SHAFT.
Retirement?
No.
Just go.
Be productive for once in your life.
I get that it’s a joke.
Apples make about the most sense for pilgrim’s brew. Quite abundant and I ignorantly imagine fermenting something is quicker/ easier /less machinery than distilling or harvest –> brewing. (I know shockingly little, so I assume I’m wrong.
Regardless! It just makes common sense (ain’t) to me. And apples are delicious already.
Nearly any fruit juice will ferment spontaneously, there’s sugar, so it’ll ferment. One downside, there weren’t any apples when the settlers first got here. You can thank Johnny Appleseed for their spread across the US. Keep in mind that the apples used for cider/jacking are not necessarily the same ones you would eat out of hand. Same as different apples work better for baking.
The original American beer? Sadly, it would likely be acorn beer or pumpkin beer.
I wrote an article that covers this. It’s in one of the archives, but I don’t remember which year. And I don’t know how to search for it.
Oh well.
Root canal done. Legit free, after I proved my income, etc. There for three+ hours, but now home with food. (Soup first.) I’m not actively at work and I’m not actively *looking* for work, which is still a rather novel zone to be in. And Cubs opening day first pitch is in 10min. This is rather nice.
Boyd is pitching for us cuz we lost Justin Steele mid last season to Tommy John. Boyd had a really good year, last. Kinda funny, he’s not exactly intimidating on the mound, but he’s got a… severe way about him. Very serious and, as I would describe someone who is not an easy interview, ‘not approachable.’ Strict standoffish.
Honest guess: I think we’ll win the division, tho the Brewers are sneakily good. I won’t predict past that.
Twins will suck again this year.
The Duluth Huskies should do well, though. I find them more fun to watch.
South Bend hosts the Cubs’ AA team. I’ll try to go to a couple of those, when I can. I’d love to go back to Wrigley, but I likely won’t unless I’ve got person /ppl to go with, or if things magically align somehow.
*sprinkles Somehow Dust on my pineapple*
Huzzah!
OT – Japanese twitter says the Pokeman knife guy was a stalker with a restraining order against the clerk. If I’m reading correctly she also died.
The first licensed distillery in the US, which happens to still be in operation and family owned, was to Laird & Company. They make several products, all based on apples.
Their applejack is great. I keep a bottle around at all times.
I must try this thing.
It’s solid. My one complaint is that they add neutral grain alcohol to hit their marks. But that’s likely why the in state ones cost twice as much, since I believe they’re 100% apple based.
I will keep that in mind as I search for a bottle.
Barbarism
The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans “the gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations as “a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs.”
The resolution also urges “the prompt and unhindered restitution” of cultural items — including artworks, monuments, museum pieces, documents and national archives — to their countries of origin without charge.
I’m glad they cleared that up.
Time to start shooting anyone that says reparation.
Okay, go ahead and tell them to get reparations from themselves, and the go after the Arab states which still do slavery.
I saw one joke that the African states want reparations from the US for destroying the slave trade, impoverishing their nations.
I would posit that the descendants of all the Europeans they enslaved over the centuries ought to get reparations too except there aren’t any descendants, are there.
Ha! Yes, I just noticed they limited it to Africans.
@Threedoor – I’m a mechanic today because I owned an Omni GLH Turbo in my late teens/early 20s. Couldn’t not learn to be a mechanic driving a FWD turbo dodge from the ’80s.
For me it was Limey shitboxes. First car was an MG Midget, then a string of Minis.
Hrm. If we’re talking 80s, were you over there, or were they that available Stateside? Especially to get “a string” of ’em.
(I’d love if Clarkson lurked here. (Or are you him?) I’d settle for him on Rogan.)
What’s your opinion of the BMW Minis?
The wife had a 3 cylinder turbo model. Enjoyable for short drives. It did go in for dealer service and warranty work at least six times. I cannot remember the details. We made the decision to remove it from our fleet as soon as it was paid off based on the number of warranty visits.
R.J.:
I’ve been driving one for over a decade now. It’s fun to drive, gets decent gas mileage, and has more storage than you would think. But it’s hard to find shops willing to work on them, and the ones that do are not cheap.
In the United States, support for reparations gained momentum in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. However, the issue has been a difficult one and has been caught up in a broader conservative backlash over how race, history and inequality are handled in public institutions.
Why won’t those mean old conservatives succumb to our sanctimonious finger-wagging?
A whole mass of people need to get a stern “Go fuck yourselves” over this shit. Sowell’d be by far the best to give it, but no way in hell that’ll happen. (Or be allowed to.)
If big change doesn’t come from within those communities, and their guilty AWFLs+, and I doubt it will, I fear only a big crash will turn the tide on that social wave.
I see NPR is still making shit up.
The first licensed distillery in the US, which happens to still be in operation and family owned, was to Laird & Company.
Interesting. Were they one of the six (?) distilleries that were selected to remain open during prohibition, or did they close and reopen after repeal?
They received a medicinal license during prohibition, and most of what I see provides them with distillery license #1. Most documentation points to that being the 1933 prohibition era license.
What’s your opinion of the BMW Minis?
I have never even sat in one. They look like a nightmare to work on.
That said, lots of people love them.
And then there is this
I was expecting this.
One of my writer friends died yesterday. Breast cancer. She was younger than me and had been treating it for a few years before, in and out of remission. Last year she decided to discontinue treatment, which is an incredibly pragmatic thing to do (and to me, “pragmatic” carries far more value than “brave”).
She self-published a year or two before I did (~2006-2007). It was her first (only) book. She published it herself because she didn’t know anything about publishing and thought nothing of it. She didn’t know she was committing a mortal sin.
It was a very good book. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ARCOIUE/
Damn. Deepest condolences.
My condolences.
Thanks. I don’t feel like the condolences belong to me.
That’s a pretty big mind-fuck to process. And you’re the only one I know in this situation, so you get your share.
This will end well.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/microsoft-freezes-hiring-cloud-and-sales-stock-suffers-worst-start-dot-com