The Jack Rose cocktail, a vibrant mix of apple brandy, lemon juice, and grenadine, is a testomony to early Twentieth-century mixology. From the flip of the century up by Prohibition, the Jack Rose was wildly fashionable, and was cited by many distinguished writers of the time as one in all their favourite drinks. Among the many pantheon of basic cocktails, the Jack Rose can also be noteworthy for using applejack, a kind of American apple brandy, as its base spirit.

Nobody is exactly positive how the Jack Rose cocktail obtained its title. Some imagine it was named after a infamous gangster or a widely known bartender. In The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, David Wondrich factors to the primary identified print look of the Jack Rose in 1889, the place it was attributed to bartender Frank Hass at Fred Eberlin’s bar in New York Metropolis. Regardless of the historic origins of the title could also be, it’s simply as possible that the drink was merely named after its major ingredient, applejack, and the drink’s rose-colored hue.

Why the Jack Rose works

The Jack Rose follows the basic format of the bitter with just a few small changes that give it its uniquely fruity and tart taste profile. Just like the Daiquiri or Whiskey Bitter, the Jack Rose combines a base spirit with citrus juice and a sweetener. As a substitute of easy syrup, this recipe requires grenadine, a pomegranate syrup. Grenadine is a well-liked cocktail ingredient and is available at most liquor shops, however making it at dwelling is straightforward and ensures high quality and freshness.

Whereas this recipe works properly with any sort of apple brandy, the Jack Rose is historically made with applejack, a method of American apple brandy with deep roots in America’s distillation and cocktail historical past. When making a Jack Rose, bartenders typically advocate Laird’s Bottled in Bond Straight Applejack due to its ample proof and genuine, apple-forward taste profile.