Applejack Rabbit recipe
The Applejack Rabbit blends bonded apple brandy, fresh citrus, and rich maple syrup.
Method: Shake and fine strain ·
Glass: Chilled coupe glass ·
Time: 4 min ·
Difficulty: Beginner ·
Family: The Sidecar Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Apple brandy (bonded or straight applejack)
- 0.75 oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 0.75 oz Orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 0.5 oz Maple syrup (rich or grade A amber)
How to make a Applejack Rabbit
- Add the apple brandy, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, and maple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake vigorously for approximately twelve to fifteen seconds until thoroughly chilled and properly diluted.
- Double strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pre-chilled coupe glass.
- Express the essential oils from a citrus twist over the cocktail and place it on the rim as a garnish.
Garnish
Garnish the drink with a freshly pared lemon or orange twist expressed over the surface.
Pro tip
Use a 100% pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup for authentic depth and natural sweetness. Adjust the citrus balance slightly depending on the tartness of your lemons and oranges.
History of the Applejack Rabbit
The Applejack Rabbit emerged during the Prohibition era, appearing in cocktail compendiums such as Harry Craddock’s 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book. While often attributed to American cocktail culture of the 1920s, precise authorship remains undocumented and open to interpretation among cocktail historians. The drink represents a distinctive regional variation of the traditional brandy sour, substituting grenadine or simple syrup with maple syrup and incorporating orange juice alongside lemon juice. Over subsequent decades, proportions evolved from sweeter historical ratios toward a drier, more balanced citrus-forward profile that highlights the apple brandy’s rustic character.
Flavour profile
Tart, Fruit-forward, Rich, Complex
Variations
- Vermont Maple Jack — Substitute dark amber maple syrup with maple liqueur for an extra layer of dry spirituous warmth.
- Spiced Apple Rabbit — Add two dashes of aromatic bitters and a pinch of ground cinnamon to the shaker for winter spice notes.
Practise making the Applejack Rabbit in the free Virtual Bar game.