🥃 Applejack
Applejack is the American name for apple brandy; US rules allow apple brandy to be labelled applejack. Blended applejack is at least 20% apple brandy aged 2 years in oak with up to 80% neutral spirits, bottled at 40% ABV or more.
Applejack is the American name for apple brandy. Under US rules (27 CFR 5.145), brandy is spirit distilled from the fermented juice, mash or wine of fruit at less than 95% ABV and bottled at not less than 40% ABV, and “apple brandy” may be designated “applejack”.
Blended applejack. Under 27 CFR 5.146, blended applejack is a mixture of at least 20% apple brandy (on a proof gallon basis) stored in oak barrels for not less than 2 years and not more than 80% neutral spirits. It must be bottled at not less than 40% ABV, and the label may read “blended applejack” or “applejack-a blend”.
Producer. According to the Laird & Company website, the company dates its distilling in Monmouth County, New Jersey to 1698 (William Laird) and reopened its distillery in 1933 under a permit to distill apple brandy for medicinal purposes; all its distilling has been done in North Garden, Virginia, since 1976. Laird's calls itself America's oldest applejack and apple brandy distillery.
Why it matters to you. “Blended applejack” on a label means that up to 80% of the spirit may be neutral rather than apple-based; check the wording and the strength. The WHO says that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Legal basis | 27 CFR 5.145 (apple brandy may be designated applejack), 5.146 (blended applejack), USA |
|---|---|
| Raw material | apples: fermented juice, mash or wine; blended applejack also contains neutral spirits |
| Minimum maturation | blended applejack: apple brandy stored at least 2 years in oak barrels |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | bottled at not less than 40% ABV (80 proof) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Applejack → kind of → 🍎 Fruit brandies → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🍎 Fruit brandies
- Related to
- 🌍 North America
- Similar and different
- 🍏 Cider spirit and perry spirit, 🥃 Calvados, 🥃 Brandy, 🥃 Angel Face
Frequently asked questions
Can apple brandy be called applejack?
Yes. Under 27 CFR 5.145, “apple brandy” may be designated “applejack”.
What is blended applejack?
A mixture of at least 20% apple brandy stored in oak barrels for not less than 2 years and not more than 80% neutral spirits (27 CFR 5.146).
What is the minimum ABV of applejack, and its proof?
Brandy, and blended applejack, must be bottled at not less than 40% ABV, which is 80 proof.
Is every bottle of applejack made only from apples?
No. Blended applejack may contain up to 80% neutral spirits, so check the wording and the strength on the label.
What can the label of blended applejack say?
It may read “blended applejack” or “applejack-a blend” (27 CFR 5.146).
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
- 🍏 Cider spirit and perry spirit — Distilled cider or perry (EU category 10): at least 37.5% ABV, no flavourings. Nine protected names, among them calvados, Breton cider brandy and England's Somerset Cider Brandy.
Similar
🥃 Fruit marc spirit · 🍓 Geist · 🥃 Horincă · 🥃 Spirit obtained by maceration and distillation · 🍏 Cider spirit and perry spirit · 🥃 Poire Williams (Williams pear spirit)
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- 27 CFR § 5.145 Brandy (eCFR)
- 27 CFR § 5.146 Blended applejack (eCFR)
- Laird & Company: Our History
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)