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Food & Wine, Cocktail 3 Ways Series

*Publication forthcoming

Jack Rose

The Jack Rose, named for its applejack base and rosy grenadine hue, is a long-time classic that emerged in the early 20th century. One of the oldest American spirits, applejack predates even whiskey and rum. In the colonial period when trans-Atlantic trade was still in its infancy, colonists depended on local resources instead of a global market. One of the most abundant? Apples.

Stephen Grasse, author of Colonial Spirits and founder of Hendrick's gin, writes that there were 14,000 apple varieties in 1905. Today, there are around 100, with only 15 being listed on the U.S. Apple Association's website. Apples were incredibly important to the development of traditional American cuisine and took on a quasi-spiritual role in the American imagination. In Henry David Thoreau's eulogy to the apple (from his essay "Wild Apples") he writes that "The apple is the most civilized of trees," describing them as being "harmless as a dove" and "beautiful as a rose."

Laird's, the very first licensed distillery in America (they actually hold Distilling License No. 1 from the Department of Treasury), has been turning apples into booze since 1780. The repute of Laird's was so widespread after its inception that George Washington asked founder Robert Laird for his "cyder spirits" recipe. Laird's is a bonded apple brandy, meaning it's 100 proof and made entirely from apples. Most applejacks you see on store shelves aren't bonded and have a lighter ABV (80 proof) and are cut with a neutral grain spirit. The bonded variety offers a punch in both flavor and booze, but both types are worth getting to know.

We're also going to show you just how simple and worthwhile it is to make your own grenadine, a tart pomegranate syrup. It's an extra step, but one that's worth the flavor pay off as most of the stuff you'll find on grocery store shelves is sickly sweet. If you prefer a tarter syrup feel free to decrease the amount of sugar but remember that the juice needs enough sugar to reach a syrupy texture, so don't add less than half of the sugar called for. Pomegranate juice without sugar added (100% juice) is essential for this recipe.

Walnut Flip

Flips, though not commonly found on contemporary cocktail menus, trace their origins back to late-1600s England, making them one of the oldest mixed drinks we know of. Flips were initially a hot beverage made with beer, rum, and sugar, heated with a hot iron rod. The practice of flipping the concoction between two pitchers to mix and cool it gave the drink its name. As colonists settled in North America, the Flip became a popular drink in the American colonies. The recipe evolved, and it often included ingredients like eggs, sugar, ale, and spirits. Bartenders would mix the ingredients and then use a loggerhead (a hot iron rod) to heat and froth the mixture.

Over time, the Flip transformed into a cold, shaken cocktail. It continued to include eggs, sugar, and spirits, but the method of preparation shifted. Bartenders would shake the ingredients vigorously to create a frothy texture. Some variations included the use of beer, wine, or brandy as the base spirit. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in historic cocktails, leading to a revival of the Flip. Modern variations might include different spirits, flavorings, and garnishes, but the basic concept of a frothy, egg-based cocktail remains.

To this Flip we added rich, nutty walnut liqueur. There are many iterations of walnut liqueurs on the market, each varying according to their country of origin. There's nocino in Italy, noix in France, and nüsse in Germany. Our favorite happens to be Nux Alpina, hailing from Austria. There's an undeniable festive allure about Nux, conjuring images of a snowy Alpine forest, that adds a strong dose of holiday cheer to this Flip. Walnut liqueur is made with fresh green walnuts (not the kind you'll find on grocery store shelves) and steeped in an alcohol base. Nux in particular is made from steeping green "Weinsberg" walnuts in a grape brandy base and then infused with alpine botanicals and sugar.

If you're wary about a whole egg going into your cocktail, just think of it as akin to eggnog. With a ridiculously good walnut liqueur this is perhaps the most festive and delicious "eggnog" you'll ever have the pleasure of trying.

Automne en Normandie

It's not often you see apple muddled in a cocktail, but we couldn't resist doubling up the apple in this Calvados-based cocktail. It's quintessentially fall, ideal for sipping when there's a chill strung through the night air and the trees are beginning to dress themselves in various shades of orange and red.

Calvados is a French apple brandy and, in our eyes, the distilled essence of autumn. We're using Christian Drouin, one of the most widely-available options. Affordable yet fantastic quality, you can find it on most liquor store shelves. The Drouin family has been making Calvados since the 1960s and the depth and complexity of their Calvados is no accident. The Drouin family has cultivated an extensive variety of apples, including bitter, sweet, and tart varieties, which all get blended with a brandy base to make their Calvados. The Calvados is then aged in oak barrels which imparts those classic notes of spice and vanilla you get from oak-aged spirits. To experience the full, layered flavor of Calvados we recommend first trying it neat, then experimenting with it in cocktails. Calvados is as potent as other dark spirits like whiskey, bourbon, or Scotch, meaning it's gutsy enough to work alone as a base spirit or in tandem with them as a supplementary flavor.

For this recipe we recommend using a tart apple variety, like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith (avoid using something bland and mushy like Red Delicious). Honey is a natural pairing with apples, so instead of a typical simple syrup (which will work here in a pinch) we opted for a honey syrup to enhance the autumnal character. Honey syrup is simply equal parts honey dissolved into equal parts hot water (see Note for full instructions). The lemon adds just enough acidity to heighten the apple’s tartness.