Nowadays, most applejack is actually “apple brandy,” as applejack is formally considered a blended apple brandy with a blend of at least 20 percent apple distillate with neutral grain spirit, aged four years in used bourbon barrels. It has a mellower apple flavor than its brandy cousin, and it’s known best as the base of the Jack Rose cocktail, a lovely mix of applejack, grenadine and lime juice.
While the jury’s out on what constitutes a true “applejack” (though our first choice will insist they make the only one), get into the American spirit with two of America’s original spirit.