What is Applejack and is it different than Apple Brandy?
Applejack, also called “cider oil”, is hard cider that goes through a process of freezing and draining of liquid until all that remains is a drink containing a high concentration of alcohol. As hard cider freezes, the water in the mixture separates and turns to ice while the alcohol remains in liquid form. The liquid is siphoned off and allowed to freeze again. This process continues until the liquid no longer freezes. Apple Brandy, the most popular brand being Calvados®, can take two forms — a “pure” apple form and less expensive techiniques that contain additional grain spirits. In either case, the resulting mix is distilled to vaporize the water and other cider contents and pull out the Ethyl alcohol used in the brandy. This liquid is then aged in wooden casks for varying lengths of time. Some brandys may add artificial sweeteners or caramel coloring to the mix, while other brands like Calvados® leave it more in its pure form and let the aging process give it its distinct flavoring
