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Cocktail History
The Applejack Rabbit is a vintage cocktail that was originally created in 1927 by Judge Jr but was reintroduced in the mid-2000s when bartender Jim Meehan revamped the recipe and started serving it at Gramercy Tavern in New York City, New York. His version calls for Laird’s apple brandy as the base spirit and pairs it with maple and two citrus juices for balance.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with apples, pears, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Laird’s Applejack because it’s a high quality and flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try apple cider and Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the apple brandy.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of a orange. We used freshly squeezed orange juice.
Spiced Maple Syrup: This is a syrup made with the sap from maple trees and baking spices. We made ours at home using Alex’s recipe.
Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Tasting Notes
The Applejack Rabbit has the scents of light lemon and apple and a flavor that’s brightly fruity, with apple and citrus prevelant, and features some barrel-aged spirituousness with more apple and orange-tinged maple on the finish.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: This delightful cocktail was a winner for the both of us, thanks to its plentiful citrusy flavors balancing out the depth of maple and apple. We will happily come back to the Applejack Rabbit during what’s left of the fall season!
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is one delightfully fruity cocktail! Its fruit notes are comprised pretty heavily of apple but backed up with the mixture of citrus, which balance and complement it without making the drink truly sour. Meanwhile, the apple brandy contributes heavily to that fruitiness while also offering some spirituous depth, and overall, it does make this cocktail feel a bit more serious than it is fun… but it’s still quite fun.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I should’ve read the ingredient list more closely before tasting this one because I didn’t expect it to be quite so citrus-forward at first. The tanginess is front and center to begin with, but the brandy, maple, and spices come through in the middle and end to make it incredibly delicious and delightfully complex. I go for lowball drinks a lot of times during the fall, but I may just add this one to my up drink rotation for this time of year.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Liquor.com, an online beverage publication.
Add apple brandy, lemon juice, orange juice, spiced maple syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Add apple brandy, lemon juice, orange juice, spiced maple syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the apple brandy to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
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More Apple Cocktails
If you like this apple-flavored cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Mott & Mulberry: A rye cocktail made with Luxardo Amaro Abano, apple cider, lemon juice, Demerara syrup, and apple slices
Apple Brandy Sour: An apple brandy cocktail made with lemon juice, maple syrup, egg white, Angostura aromatic bitters, and a cherry
Salted Caramel Apple Martini: A gin and apple brandy cocktail made with salted caramel syrup
Apple Crush: An apply brandy and vodka cocktail made with apple cider, lemon juice, simple syrup, maple sugar, honeycrisp apple, and a cinnamon stick
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