Applejack??

clcuckow

Settler
Oct 17, 2003
795
1
Merseyside, Cheshire
Hi Guys,

I have been reading about Applejack, the hard liquor made from Cider/Apple wine which was very popular in North America during the Colonial era.

Well my question is best addressed to our cousins across the pond or someone from one of our more liberal European neiboroughs as it is traditionally made 'Fractional Freezing' (a repeated process of freezing the cider, straining off and discarding the slush then re-freezing the remaining now stronger liquid) which is of course illegal in the UK so I am sure none of us have ever tasted it ;) unless of course it was out of the country :D

So what does it taste like, how strong was it, and if it legal where you live is it worth making?
 

stevesteve

Nomad
Dec 11, 2006
460
0
57
UK
Is it illegal?

If you left a bottle of cider out on a cold night it is what would happen naturally. It would be hard to argue the same for distillation ;)

Cheers,
Steve
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
39,133
4,808
S. Lanarkshire
Ooops :eek: I didn't know it was illegal............I make icebrew cider every Winter that's cold enough.

It goes into a bowl with a napkin over it, on the back step. As it freezes it forms a kind of gelatinous mass in the middle, I just lift that out and repeat a couple of times. The stuff that comes out is still flavoured a bit so I heat it up and spice it for masala cha.
The resulting icebrew keeps longer, it's really only like strong wine.

cheers,
Toddy
 

clcuckow

Settler
Oct 17, 2003
795
1
Merseyside, Cheshire
There's something called Lairds Applejack in the US, this stuff mentions brandy and vapourisation and re-hydration processes.

http://www.lairdandcompany.com/products_applejack.htm

Invented by a Scotsman aswell, sounds about right :)

Are you surprised about a Scotsman being involved? The Scot are like the Irish, they can get alcohol out of a stone! And bless them for it :D ;)


I have drunk gallons of Calvados over the years as the owner of a gite I go to almost every year makes it, illegally naturally but the local gendarme is one of his best customers :D But that is distilled it the same sort of stills as Brandy and I was intrigued to find out if Applejack tastes similar.
 

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