National Applejack Month

So what exactly is applejack? It is a type of brandy made from apples, produced from hard cider, which is simply fermented apple juice. The classic colonial method was wonderfully low tech: leave a barrel of hard cider outside in the brutal winter cold, let the water freeze, and chip out the ice. Since alcohol freezes at a much lower temperature than water, the water in the cider freezes first while the alcohol stays liquid, concentrating the boozy portion with every scoop of ice removed. This freeze distillation was known as jacking, which is how applejack got its name. The result was a potent spirit that could reach from 25 to 40 percent alcohol, shrinking a barrel of cider down to as little as one tenth of its original volume. The more ice they chipped away, the stronger the drink became. Drunk in quantity, as one 1894 newspaper warned, it packed a powerful punch.

The story starts in 1698, when Scottish born William Laird settled in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and began distilling his cyder into a more refined version of applejack, aged in oak kegs. Legend says he was trying to create a decent substitute for Scotch whiskey, since the traditional rye for such drinks did not grow well in the colonies. His descendants went professional: Robert Laird, who served in the Continental Army, incorporated Laird and Company in 1780, the same year the operation received the first ever distillery license from the United States government. The company is the oldest licensed applejack distillery in America, and until the 2000s it was the country’s only remaining producer. Applejack was once known as Jersey Lightning, and in colonial New Jersey it was even used as currency to pay road construction crews.

Applejack has been associated with four presidents of the United States, which is quite the resume for a farmhouse spirit. After the American Revolution, George Washington wrote to the Laird family asking for their family recipe for the bewitching cyder spirit. Abraham Lincoln served applejack during his brief stint as a tavern keeper in Illinois. Franklin D. Roosevelt included applejack in the Manhattans he regularly consumed. And Lyndon B. Johnson gave a case of applejack to Soviet leader Alexei Kosygin at the 1967 Glassboro Summit Conference, making it an unlikely instrument of Cold War diplomacy. Colonists also swore by it as a remedy, using it for colds and indigestion and even as a disinfectant, and overindulgence was said to cause a wobbly condition known as apple palsy.

The drink fell out of fashion as rum, whiskey, gin, and vodka rose through the 19th and 20th centuries, but it never quite disappeared. During Prohibition, Laird’s stopped producing liquor and made apple juice instead, then received permission in 1931 to produce apple brandy for medicinal purposes, stockpiling it until repeal in 1933. Then came the revival. In the 2010s, a new generation of craft distilleries began producing applejack in places like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, New York’s Hudson Valley, Michigan, and even Toronto. Modern applejack is distilled and aged in barrels for a mellower, more complex flavor, carrying gentle sweet apple notes alongside toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, oak, and dried fruit. It shines in cocktails like the Jack Rose, the Widow’s Kiss, and the applejack sour. October, apple season itself, is exactly the right month to give it a try. Food writers have noted that the month is one of several applejack and cider holidays scattered through the year, but October’s is the big one, landing right in the middle of harvest season when orchards are heavy and the air smells like pressed apples. If you have ever wanted an excuse to visit a cider mill, plan a tasting, or finally learn what the fuss is about, this is your month.

THE STORY BEHIND NATIONAL APPLEJACK MONTH

❄️ The Jacking
Freeze the cider, chip out the ice, and watch the spirit grow stronger. Colonial settlers left barrels of hard cider outside during winter, removing the frozen water to concentrate the alcohol. The more ice they removed, the stronger the drink became. It was distillation powered by nothing but cold weather and patience.

🏴️‍☠️ The Scotsman
William Laird emigrated from Scotland in 1698 and began distilling applejack in colonial New Jersey, aging it in oak kegs. His great grandson Robert incorporated Laird and Company in 1780, and the family business still dominates American applejack production today. Over three centuries of one family and one spirit.

⚡ Jersey Lightning
Applejack’s old nickname was Jersey Lightning, and it earned it. In colonial New Jersey, the spirit was so valued it served as currency to pay road construction crews. A drink that paves roads is a drink with a work ethic.

🇺 Four Presidents
Washington requested the Laird family recipe. Lincoln poured it as a tavern keeper. Roosevelt mixed it into his Manhattans. Johnson gifted a case to a Soviet leader at the 1967 Glassboro Summit. Few spirits can claim a fan club that spans the founding era to the Cold War.

🍷 The Prohibition Pivot
When Prohibition began in 1920, Laird’s stopped making liquor and produced apple juice instead. In 1931, John Evans Laird received permission to produce apple brandy for medicinal purposes, and the company stockpiled its product until repeal in 1933. Sometimes survival is the boldest business strategy.

🍵 The Craft Comeback
After decades in the shadows, applejack roared back in the 2010s as craft distilleries across the Northeast and Midwest began making it again. Today’s versions are barrel aged and cocktail ready, starring in the Jack Rose, the Widow’s Kiss, and the applejack sour. America’s oldest spirit is having its newest moment.

🤐 Essence of Lockjaw
Old timers had colorful names for applejack’s effects. It was called essence of lockjaw, and overindulgence was said to cause apple palsy, a wobbly condition doubtless followed by a splitting headache. An 1894 newspaper claimed the victim of applejack was capable of blowing up a whole town with dynamite and reciting original poetry to every surviving inhabitant. Respect the pour.

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

🍷 Mix a Classic Jack Rose
Stir up the iconic applejack cocktail at home: applejack, grenadine, and lemon or lime juice over ice. It is one of the great American cocktails, and October is the ideal season to master it. Start with quality ingredients and taste the history. Garnish with a twist of lemon and raise your glass to William Laird, who started it all back in 1698.

🪵 Host a Fall Tasting Night
Gather friends for an autumn tasting: sample applejack alongside hard cider and apple brandy, and compare the flavors. Pair with sharp cheddar, apple slices, and toasted nuts for a spread that tastes like October itself.

🌿 Visit an Orchard or Distillery
Head to a local apple orchard or craft distillery to see where the magic starts. Many offer fall tours and tastings. There is no better way to understand a harvest spirit than to stand among the trees that made it. Many orchards pair their tours with fresh cider donuts, which is reason enough to go.

Celebrate National Applejack Month

Here is to autumn, to orchards, and to America’s oldest spirit. Sip slowly, savor fully. Cheers.