Recipe

• 2 oz. Applejack
• ½ oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ oz. Cointeau

Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or an apple slice.

• The term "applejack" derives from jacking, a term for freeze distillation.

An
American Spirit

As the seasons change, so do your tastes. You look forward to swapping out your summer gear for tweed and wool and you want drinks imbibed with the comforting flavors of fall. Bring on the hard cider, pumpkin ales and the complex, smoky liquors that add a subtle warmth to cocktail hour. One of the best? Applejack. Still made by New Jersey's Laird & Co., it was the first distillery to produce the cider-based spirit back in 1698. A favorite of George Washington, it soon became ubiquitous throughout the colonies. (Save that fact for the Thanksgiving table.) Essentially an apple-flavored whiskey, it's 35% apple brandy, guaranteed to warm you up but not burn your throat. And it makes for some pretty tasty old school cocktails, like this autumnal version of a sidecar.

$20 at Crown & Wine