It is still far more affordable than other producers' much younger offerings. For Old Fashioneds and Manhattan-like cocktails, the 7½ year Old Apple Brandy is a treat. I don't know of a better bang-for-the-buck than Laird's Straight Applejack 86, however.įor mixing purposes, I recommend their Applejack 86 or Bottled-in-Bond. Of course, many more options have appeared over the last 10-15 years. It is also the only one you should avoid. Out of the 7 products they make, Laird's Blended Applejack is the only bottle not 100% pure apple brandy. It's production method is different from the well-known Calvados.īack in the 70s, Laird's, the last surviving American apple brandy distiller and first licensed distillery in the country, petitioned the US government to allow them to make a blended product to compete in the trends of lighter, un(der)aged spirits.

Laird's also makes longer aged 80 proof straight apple brandies and an unaged eau de vie they call 'Jersey Lightning', but I haven't been able to try those yet.Īpplejack is simply the nickname given to American apple brandy. The 100 proof is probably the best for cocktails, but the 86 proof is also very good, and even the 80 proof blended product is still radically better than any artificially flavored apple spirit I've ever tasted. In the last few years, they've split the difference and added 86 proof 'straight Applejack' which is 100% apple brandy with no neutral grain spirits, but it's lower proof and less aged so it's less expensive and easier for them to produce in larger quantities. They've also for a long time made a 'Straight Apple Brandy' that's 100 proof 100% apple brandy with no neutral grain spirits and more aging. Ran across this while searching for something else, but I wanted to comment on it because most people here aren't aware.įor a long time, Laird's has made 80 proof 'Applejack' which is, as you describe, a blend of apple brandy and neutral grain spirits. /r/firewater (This one is for distillers!).We've put our favorite content on our wiki including a starter's guide to cocktails, best beginner's cocktail books, and the World Wide Bar Guide! So please check it out! If you believe your post was unfairly removed then you can contact the moderators for an appeal. Posts not compliant with rules may be removed and user may be banned. A post should promote or invite discussion, for example with interesting context, questions, or thoughts. Posts should invite discussion: Posts that serve only to show off pictures of bottles/ice/bars aren't really allowed. Be nice to others, a rising tide raises all boatsĤ. Do not steal content from other community membersģ. Self-Promotion: Do not 'hit-and-run' with your blog/instagramĢa. If it's from a bar, at least include ingredients and bar name/locationĢ. If you post a picture or link, you must include the detailed recipe in comments: measurements, and detailed steps.ġa.

Lairds applejack distillery