Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/723381
Purely American with Arkansas Black Straight Applejack Samantha Ford Collins's great-grandfather, Arthur "Skipper" Ford, grew apples and heirloom fruit on his ranch in Napa County, California. After the apples were harvested, he'd make cider and farmhouse applejack. Now generations later, Collins and her husband John are looking to recreate Skipper's classic Applejack. The Collins' production takes place on Treasure Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, where the barrels are aged exposed to the slat air. There they produce the perfectly enjoyable Arkansas Black Straight Applejack (SRP $50) entirely from apples, approximately 25 pounds per bottle. A select blend of apples are distilled in a small Holstein pot still along with the skin and must to preserve the fresh apple flavors. It is bottled at 49% ABV (98 proof). Serving as an independent validation of the brandy's greatness is the fact that it earned a rare Double Gold medal at the 2016 San Francisco Worlds Spirits Competition and was named the Best Apple Brandy in Show. "The Arkansas Black Applejack is aged in barrels exposed to the elements, on a windswept island in San Francisco Bay," observes David Catania, Spirits Category Manager for Burke Distributing Corp. in Massachusetts. "Significant daily temperature swings and the salty air each leave their mark on the aging spirit. While the aroma is decidedly that of fresh baked apples, the flavor is distinctively big, bold and American." The applejack is like an elixir in a bottle. You can actually feel yourself getting better drinking it. Try the applejack neat, on the rocks or featured in a delicious cocktail—such as the highly promotable classic, the Jack Rose. Jack Rose by William Boothby, The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them (1908) ◗ 2 oz. Arkansas Black Straight Applejack ◗ ¾ oz. fresh grenadine syrup (2:1 pomegranate juice to sugar) ◗ ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice (substitute lime juice, if desired) ◗ Dash Peychaud's Bitters Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. TIMBERLANE LLC Master of Mixology with MASTERSON'S 10 YEAR OLD STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY Behind the bar, mixologists reach for the best and Masterson's 100 percent Rye Whiskey fits the bill. Distilled in an old-fashioned pot still and aged in charred white oak casks for 10 years or more, Masterson's 10 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey (SRP $79) is a favorite and "must-have" of Sean Iglehart, co-owner of Sweetwater in Boynton Beach, Florida. Iglehart describes how Masterson's fits into the bar program at Sweetwater, which has made a name for itself as having one of the coolest, most creative cocktail menus in Florida: "Masterson's 10-Year-Old Rye expres- sion is made from 100 percent rye grains, therefore providing an awesome palate of warming spices that have worked very well with Autumn/Winter cocktails at Sweetwater." In both classics and new cocktail creations, Masterson's shines as a versatile go-to choice for the discerning bartender. —Becky Tsadik Pralinto ◗ 2 oz. pecan-infused Masterson's 10 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey ◗ 1 oz. figcello (dried Turkish figs rested in brandy for one week) ◗ 2–3 dashes chocolate bitters ◗ 2–3 dashes black walnut bitters Stirred, over hand-cut ice block and garnish with chocolate and pralines. Roast ¼ pound pecans in 350-degree oven for 10 minutes; dust cinnamon and brown sugar on top; let cool. Add pecans to 750 mL of whiskey and let sit for three to five days. The rye will be a bit bitter and dry, but the figcello and bitters will help balance this. 3 BADGE BEVERAGE CORP. PHOTO: SEAN IGLEHART : PHOTO COURTESY OF ARKANSAS BLACK APPLEJACK