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How to Survive Thanksgiving - Some Tips for Raiding the Family Liquor Cabinet

Thanksgiving typically involves some sort of family gathering. When you raid your parents' dusty liquor cabinet, you'll need some guidance on how to make the best of all those weird unopened liquor bottles.
How to Survive Thanksgiving - Some Tips for Raiding the Family Liquor Cabinet

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Immediately after the big Thanksgiving meal, the scene in my parents' house usually plays out something like this: I’ve got indigestion, everybody hates the Cowboys, and a baby or animal has thrown up in my brother’s lap. Thanksgiving is more agreeable with the aid of a cocktail.

For most people, the liquor cabinet at one's parents' house hasn’t been updated since the DeLorean was considered cool. But if you’re lucky, there’s a good chance that a bottle of America’s oldest spirit, applejack, lurks behind those unopened bottles of cream sherry and Midori. My prayers are with you if you’ve resorted to the family Midori.

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Applejack is distilled from hard cider, and has been getting Americans sauced since the 1600s. Boozehound George Washington produced the hooch at Mt. Vernon, Abe Lincoln poured it by the glass inside his Springfield, Illinois, tavern, and that freegan-looking vagabond, John Chapman, was the spirit’s unofficial spokesman in his lifetime, instructing farmers on how to freeze-distill—a process known as “jacking”—their own cider while he roamed about the countryside, spreading his seeds. Literally.

Today, applejack is primarily produced by New Jersey-based Laird & Co., which has been bottling this stuff since the 1700s. They’ve also got a bottle of their bonded apple brandy, a boozier, apple-ier spirit that tastes just as delicious.

Do yourself a favor and dig that bottle out of the back of the liquor cabinet. Make yourself a few rounds of cocktails (the Jack Rose and the Apple Old-Fashioned are my standby recipes) before old Uncle Al starts farting in his sleep on that stained leather couch.

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Jack Rose

2 ounces applejack or apple brandy

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 ounce grenadine*

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass (or your mom’s most hideous martini glass).

*If you can’t find grenadine, make your own by shaking 1/2 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice with 1/2 cup of sugar in a jar until the sugar’s dissolved.

Apple Old-Fashioned

2 ounces applejack or apple brandy

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1/4 ounce pure maple syrup

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Place a few ice cubes (or, preferably, one big cube) in a rocks glass and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until chilled. Garnish with a lemon twist, if you can.

Read more from Nick Fauchald here.

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