Applejack and apple brandy are sometimes—not always—the same thing. Both are apple-based spirits, but their origins, processes, and base fruits can vary. To understand the differences between applejack and apple brandy, it’s helpful to have a working knowledge of global geography and enthusiasm for the tireless human urge to turn nearby fruit into booze.
Here’s everything you need to know about applejack vs. apple brandy.
Applejack vs. Apple Brandy Fast Facts
• Applejack is a type of apple brandy, but not all apple brandy is applejack.
•Types of apple brandy include eau-de-vie de pomme, Calvados, obstler (an unaged schnapps from the Alps), and applejack.
•Apple brandy and applejack must contain at least 40% alcohol by volume.
•Blended applejack can contain up to 80% neutral spirits combined with at least 20% apple brandy.
• Applejack hails from the colonial United States, while apple brandy has been produced worldwide since the Middle Ages.
•There are young and aged expressions of apple brandy and applejack.
What Is Applejack?
Applejack is a type of apple brandy that originated in what’s now called the northeastern United States in the late 1600s. It contains at least 40% alcohol by volume and goes by an array of nicknames, including apple whiskey, cider whiskey, and, evocatively, Jersey lightning. (That last one demonstrates the prevalence and potency of the spirit in colonial New Jersey.)
Some historians believe the name applejack comes from the way early iterations were produced: Thirsty colonists would ferment apples into cider, then freeze or “jack” it so the water separated. They’d scrape off the frozen water and create a boozier final product. Most modern applejack producers distill their spirit in copper pot or chamber stills, though some traditionalists use the original freezing method.
The types of apples used to make applejack aren’t regulated. Neither is the aging process, so some applejack is young and clear, while others are bronzed from spending two or more years in oak barrels. The latter is more common, so expect your applejack to be gently aged unless noted otherwise.
If a spirit is labeled “blended applejack,” it can contain up to 80% neutral spirits blended with at least 20% apple brandy that has aged for a minimum of two years, producing a thinner spirit.
There are all sorts of ways to drink applejack. You can serve it neat or on ice or use it in co*cktails. The pre-Prohibition-era Jack Rose is arguably the best-known applejack co*cktail, but contemporary bartenders also use the spirit in the Angel’s Face, Applejack Rabbit, and many others.
What Is Apple Brandy?
Apple brandy is a broad category of liquor made by distilling the fermented juice or mash of apples. Types of apple brandy include American applejack, French Calvados, and global expressions of eaux-de-vie de pomme. All must contain at least 40% alcohol by volume.
Distillation methods and source materials vary. Some categories like Calvados require harvesting of the fruit in a specific geographic area, or necessitate distillation twice in a pot still, as is the case with Calvados Pays d’Auges. Others leave these decisions up to the distiller, who might choose to make their spirit in pot or column stills or a combination of the two, and might add an array of fruit to the mix. The latter is true of obstler, a type of brandy made in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria that may contain apples as well as pears or other fruits.
Apple brandy can be bottled young and sold as eau de vie or “white brandy” with a clear color, or aged in oak barrels for two or more years to develop nuanced flavors and golden amber colors. (Calvados must legally age in French oak barrels for at least two years.) Blended apple brandies might combine young and barrel-aged spirits. While you can and should drink apple brandy however you like it best, young brandies are usually served chilled and aged expressions at room temperature. Like applejack, apple brandy features in countless co*cktails like the Calvados Sidecar and Corpse Reviver No. 1.
One thing to keep in mind when perusing the shelves of your local bottle shop: In the United States, the word brandy is often used to denote spirits made from grapes or grape wine. Those made from apples are typically labeled “apple brandy.”
The Key Differences Between Applejack and Apple Brandy
The primary difference between applejack and apple brandy is their places of origin. Apple brandies are made worldwide by distilling the juice or pulp of apples, whereas applejack is a distinctly American iteration that was historically distilled by freezing apple cider but is now most commonly distilled in copper or chamber stills. If a spirit is labeled “blended applejack,” it can contain up to 80% neutral spirits blended with at least 20% apple brandy.
Apple brandy also predates applejack by millennia. Some historians believe brandy originated in 1313 France, and others note that European distillation methods may have been inspired by Arab rosewater production. Either way, global distillers were turning apples into brandy long before European colonists started to freeze their apple cider to make applejack in the late 17th century.
Applejack and apple brandy are closely related, however. Both are typically bottled at a minimum of 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof), are distilled in various ways, and can be aged or unaged (though notably, Calvados must age for at least two years). Applications overlap, too. Depending on the type of bottle on your bar, you can sip applejack or apple brandy straight, or mixed into co*cktails. Some of our favorites include the aforementioned Jack Rose, plus the Pan American Clipper, Pink Lady, Princess Mary’s Pride, and Forbidden Apple.
