Applejack brandy
ReferenceNew Jersey (USA), Virginia (USA), New England (USA)
Famous For
1941 (Suffering Bastard)
Gin and brandy walk into a war zone. Ginger beer brings them home.
A. J.
Two ingredients. Applejack meets grapefruit and nothing else is needed.
After Dinner Cocktail
In an era when cocktails had functional names, this one told you exactly when to drink it — and a hundred years later, the advice still holds.
Tasting Notes
Baked apple, apple cider, caramel, oak tannin, cinnamon, brown butter, orchard blossom, dried fruit. Character overlaps with applejack. Older expressions develop more oak and dried fruit; younger are brighter.
Brand Guide
Laird's Applejack 86 ($18-22)
Laird's Straight ($28-35)
Laird's Bottled-in-Bond ($38-48)
Clear Creek, Harvest Spirits ($60+). Laird's is nearly synonymous with American apple brandy