![]() ![]() Industrially, it is made by blending at least 20 percent apple wine with a neutral grain spirit and aging it for four years in used bourbon barrels. Then the alcohol and flavors are concentrated using a process called freeze distillation – or “jacking” (thereof its name!).įreeze distillation exploits the fact that all the volatile flavorful compounds (including alcohol!) melt at a lower temperature than does the water in the brew.Īfter a few freeze-thaw cycles where a good chunk of the ice cube is discarded, you will have yourself a stronger more flavorful drink! Hard cider is enriched with sugar to achieve as high an alcohol percentage as possible. The traditional home production of applejack is very simple. It is a far cry from the boozy homebrew of the past, where dangerous compounds like acetone, methanol, and other secondary compounds would be concentrated during distillation and sometimes leading to blind people. Since then, Applejack has come a long way. ![]() It was also used to speculate on real estate and to buy land with fruit-bearing orchards. Just like ordinary hard cider, it was a staple of the colonists and was worth a lot of money as legal tender. John Chapman planted apple seeds in Massachusetts in 1630. The history of applejack goes back to the 17th century. But they quickly learned freeze distillation as a way to make ordinary hard cider into a stronger, more potent, and aromatic drink that containing at least 20% alcohol and typically 40-50%. It was one of the first boozes produced in America and became a popular drink among pilgrims.Īt this time cider was a non-carbonated drink with around 5% alcohol content. When it comes down to the details, the two drinks are pretty similar, the main difference being their origin and traditional production method! What is applejack and how is it made?Īpplejack is an apple-based hard liquor with a history dating back to the colonial era. But to be honest, they both come in different quality levels! Some would say that Applejack is a worker’s drink of the initial colonizers of the US and that calvados is more sophisticated. While it’s similar in alcohol concentration, calvados is often viewed as more potent. was founded by Robert Laird, who produced the first apple brandy.Īpplejack is often confused with calvados, which is understandable as they may taste quite similar to some people. In 1780, the first commercial distillery in the U.S. Since the 1780s, however, domestic distilleries have been producing fruit-forward brandies. Both applejack and calvados can come in many varieties and calvados can also be made from pear cider (perry). Originally from Normandy, Calvados was created by French distillers who wanted a stronger cider-like drink. Some brands may be aged in large oak vats, while others are blended with other spirits or made entirely from other fruits. Most calvados brands are also aged for much longer than applejack typically is. What makes calvados and applejack different?Ĭalvados and applejack are both distilled alcoholic beverages, made from apple cider.īoth are distilled and age for a minimum of two years, but applejack is traditionally freeze-distilled rather than heat distilled. in the aging process, both are usually aged at least a year. While there are also other differences e.g. The difference in origin naturally also implies a difference in the apple cultivars used, and whereas applejack is made using American cultivars such as Winesap apples, calvados is made using traditional French cider apples such as Rouge Duret, Rambault or Saint Martin.īut the country of origin and the types of apples used is not the only difference – while both are distilled from fermented apple juice, calvados is traditionally distilled using heat whereas applejack is freeze distilled also known as “jacked” (fortified), which gave the applejack drink its name! Both applejack and calvados are popular wines (brandies) distilled from fermented apples – applejack from the US (Pennsylvania) and Calvados is French (Normandy). If you’re curious about the differences between applejack and calvados, you’ve come to the right place. ![]()
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