We’ve been out playing in the rain, so I was looking for something cool to drink but with a warm feeling. Yeah, that doesn’t make sense, I recognize that. Maybe it will work out, maybe it won’t. I guess we will find out soon. So, please join me as we make the Applejack Rabbit. 

This is an old one, first appearing in the 1927 “Here’s How” by Judge Jr. or Harry Craddock’s 1930 “The Savoy Cocktail Book”, depending on who you ask. I’m not gonna try to figure out who came first, that’s between the chicken the egg and the wall. Honestly, I’m kind of shocked it doesn’t have grenadine in it. An ingredient that was so popular in drinks this period I figured bartenders got a bounty for using it. Let’s go ahead and make the drink and see how things turn out. 

Grab your tins and pop in 2 ounces of Laird’s Applejack, 3/4 of an ounce of orange juice, 1/2 an ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 an ounce of maple syrup, preferably grade b, but all I had was some stuff stolen from Cracker Barrel from back when they still served 100% Maple Syrup; and 2-3 stabs of Regan’s orange bitters. Add ice and shake hard to the beat of “Didn’t it Rain“ by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, that’ll get the blood pumping. Double strain into a chilled coupe before garnishing with a dehydrated orange wheel. 

Well, isn’t that lovely? The answer is, yes it is. I figured this would be a good breakfast drink with that maple syrup and orange juice and it would, but it turns out to be a really nice autumn cocktail. The apple flavor stands up to all that sweet stuff, well, it does with the bitters added. I made this one twice, once with bitters and once without. They were both good, but I preferred the bitters version. It seemed to cut through the sweetness and balance the drink nicely. To be fair, Laura preferred the sweeter one. 

It’s been a cool, rainy day and I figured that the orange juice would feel like a ray of sunshine or barring that, the maple syrup would give that warm feeling. Neither did, but it was still a damn fine drink. That’s cool, though. I like to be surprised from time to time. How boring would it be to always be right? I don’t guess I will ever have to worry about that. Stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane, my friends.