How To Drink Apple Brandy

Cinnamon Sugar Cocktail Rim

Apple Brandy Fermented Drink (The best I’ve tasted so far)

Some of my favorite cocktails have salt or sugared rims in most recipes salt or sugar can act as an ingredient that helps to amplify the flavors within the recipe. The same is for cocktails!

Of course, there are so many pre-prepared rim sugars you can purchase online, but why buy some when you can easily make and adjust the flavors to your liking?

How do you make a sugar rim you ask? Heres my recipe in case you want to create your own simply mix the ingredients below together and you have your own homemade rim cinnamon sugar!

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

How To Drink Brandy Straight

Most high-quality aged brandies are recommended to be enjoyed straight. When drinking brandy neat, there is a process you and your customers can follow to get the most out of the experience, similar to how you would taste whiskey.

Warm the glass in your palm. The heat from your hand will open up the molecules in the liquor and release the aromas in the drink. Some brandy connoisseurs may even heat the brandy over an open flame to speed up this process. You can warm the glass with warm water before serving. However, it’s important to dry the glass before pouring the brandy or else the water droplets can change the flavor profile of the liquor.

Swirl the liquid. By moving the liquid in the glass, you can warm it more evenly and open up the bouquet of aromas.

Observe the color. The longer a brandy ages in a barrel, the darker the color will become and the richer the flavor.

Hold the glass at chest height. Smell the brandy through your nose at this distance to see what subtle aromas you can get initially.

Hold the glass at chin height. Smell the brandy through your nose at this closer distance to catch more of the complexities in the aroma of the brandy. Youll most likely smell the fruit in the brandy at this point.

Raise the glass to your nose. With the glass at your nose, take a breath in first through your nose then through your mouth to catch the aromas of spices and fruits in the brandy.

Can You Drink Apple Brandy Straight

The majority of high-quality aged brandies are best consumed straight from the bottle. To get the most out of drinking brandy neat, there is a method you and your clients may follow that is similar to how you would taste whiskey to get the most out of the experience. The glass will become warmer in your palm. Before serving, you can warm the glass by dipping it in warm water.

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How To Rim A Glass With Cinnamon Sugar

To prepare your cinnamon sugar-rimmed glass, add a bit of apple juice into a shallow bowl with a flat base.

Then, add a few teaspoons of mixed cinnamon and sugar onto a separate small plate.

Dip the rim of your glass in the apple juice, then coat the rim with cinnamon sugar before setting it aside while you mix your cocktail.

How To Drink Brandy

There are three distinct ways to drink brandy that impact how it is served and enjoyed.

Neat – Drinking brandy neat means that it is enjoyed straight, without ice or any additional mixers.

On the Rocks – Drinking brandy on the rocks means that the liquor is served with ice.

In Cocktails – Brandy can be paired with mixers and syrups to create a variety of brandy cocktails.

It is important to consider all three brandy drink styles when setting drink prices in your bar or restaurant. Be sure to ask your customers preference if they do not specify, as each person may have their own opinion on the best way to drink brandy.

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How Do You Make A Michigander Mad

15 Guaranteed Ways to Make a Michigander Angry

Bemoan the fact that only a trace quantity of snow fell. Make fun of the Great Lakes.

omitting to recognise the presence of the UP

Mispronounce the names of some of Michigans most popular tourist spots. slander their colleges athletic team

Make them spend a lengthy period of time driving throughout the state.

What Soda Mixes With Brandy

Combining the alcohol with dry ginger ale is a simple and easy-to-drink mix that brings out the fiery aspect of the spirit. Three Barrels blends beautifully with cola and lemonade, cementing its reputation as a brandy that appeals to a wide range of people. Pour into your favorite glass and top with ice for added refreshment, especially in the summer. Serve immediately.

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When Is The Best Time To Drink It

The best time to have brandy is as soon as its poured into the snifter glass. Its not advisable to leave it in the glass to sit at room temperature as you would with, lets say, wine, as you run the risk of evaporating its high alcohol content, which would alter its flavor profile.

And even though brandy is made from fruit wine, it does not need to breathe. It can be poured and immediately enjoyed once the bottle is opened.

If you want to know when is the best time to have brandy, many would consider it a pleasant after-dinner drink. Its natural soothing and relaxing qualities make it a great sleep aid. But what food goes well with cognac?

For Sipping Solo And For Cocktails Alike

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Made by distilling cider, apple brandy has nearly as long a history in America as it does in Europe. The first mention of it is from 1553 in Normandy, France. And as America’s oldest distilled spirit, it was before the 17th century that apples were being run through stills on this side of the Atlantic.

There are notable differences between New and Old World approaches. “A lot of American brandies are made with sweet eating applesGolden Delicious, Macoun, Gala,” says Robert Krueger, task force head bartender at JF Restaurants, “whereas a mix of bitter, sour, and other apples are used for distilling Calvados,” the classic Normandy brandy.

Another distinction is the oak. “Generally speaking, American apple brandies tend to be sweeter and more vanilla-forward because of the use of charred, new American oak, leading to a faster extraction of the oak sugars versus toasted European oak barrels, which have more tannins and spice,” explains Flavien Desoblin, owner of New York’s The Brandy Library and Copper and Oak.

Whether you like the more “elegant and complex” European style or prefer the approachable American one, there’s an apple brandy out there for you. Below you’ll find a list of our expert’s picks for the best apple brandies to drink right now.

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How To Drink Brandy With Ice

Although some may consider it offensive to add ice to a brandy, others find it to be the perfect touch depending on the brandys age and flavor. A brandy that has been aged 2 to 6 years may benefit the most from this drinking method. Use the following tips if you plan to sip your brandy on the rocks or serve it chilled to your customer.

Try it Neat. Before you add ice to a brandy, become familiar with what it tastes like on its own. Follow the process of warming, swirling, observing, and smelling the brandy so that you can compare the flavor differences between drinking it straight to drinking it chilled. If your customer orders brandy on the rocks, allow them to sample the brandy straight before chilling it for them.

Use a large single cube. Instead of adding various small cubes that may water down the brandy, use a silicone ice mold to create large cubes that will evenly chill the brandy without melting too quickly.

Let it cool. If the brandy is consumed immediately after the ice cube is added, it will not have enough time to chill thoroughly and may still carry that potent alcohol flavor.

Sip slowly. Brandy should be enjoyed slowly to allow time for the taste buds to acclimate to the flavor and fully enjoy its complexities.

What Is A Good Brandy For Beginners

Beginners Brandy for Your Home Cocktail Collection

Hennessy VS Cognac / Photo courtesy of Hennessy.
Bertoux Brandy / Photo courtesy of Bertoux Brandy.
H by Hine VSOP Cognac / Photo courtesy of Hine Cognac.
Camus VSOP Elegance Cognac / Photo courtesy of Camus.
Lairds Bottled in Bond Straight Apple Brandy / Photo courtesy of Lairds.
H by Hine VSOP

The Proper Way To Drink Brandy

Part of running a successful bar is keeping your liquor shelf well stocked with a wide selection of beverage options for any occasion. Brandy is a sophisticated liquor that is perfect for any bar, pub, or hotel lounge. Below, well show you how to properly serve and drink brandy so you can make a good impression on your customers and boost your sales.

Brandy Designations And Types And How To Drink Them

Drink high-quality brandy neat. This includes brandies such as Armagnac and Cognac, along with high-quality fruit brandies such as a nice apple brandy, some quality American brandies, and eau de vie. Brandies often have quality designations on them, and this can help you decide whether they’re best neat, or if you may be better off enjoying them in a cocktail.

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1. Pommeau Start your dinner experience with a pommeau, which is an aperitif, a lightly alcoholic before-dinner beverage designed to stimulate the appetite. In a Champagne flute, mix 1/3 apple brandy with 2/3 fresh apple juice. Serve with blue cheese and melon for a refreshing start to your dinner .

2. Old Fashioned Apple Brandy Cocktail Blending apple spirits with maple syrup, this cocktail is just perfect for a cold winter day. Stir together two ounces of apple brandy with one teaspoon of Grade A maple syrup and a dash of bitters. Add a few cubes of ice and stir again until nice and chilled. Garnish with a fresh slice of apple .

3. Apple Brandy Hot Toddy The hot toddy is a popular winter drink, and it gets a remix in this warming cocktail that has a touch of caffeine for an effective pick-me-up. On the stovetop in a large saucepan, boil 2 quarts of apple juice until syrupy and reduced to 1 ½ cups . Add 1 ½ cups of fresh brewed black tea and 1 ½ cups apple brandy, heating until hot . Pour into a heated mug and garnish each with a cinnamon stick .

5. Brandied Strawberries A refreshing way to serve fresh fruit for dessert, brandied strawberries are delicious paired with cheesecake, pound cake, pancakes or on their own with a dollop of heavy whipped cream. Simply wash and de-stem your strawberries, then place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with apple brandy and let macerate for one hour at room temperature. Serve for dessert an easy way to impress guests!

Apple Brandy Cocktail Recipes To Make This Fall

As the leaves turn to colors of amber and red and the cool autumn air sets in, many of us are swapping out chilled and frozen summer drinks for warmer cocktails with seasonal flavors and spices to keep us cozy throughout the upcoming months. An easy way to get that quintessential fall feeling is mixing up a drink using apple brandy.

Between adding Calvados to classics like the Negroni or Old Fashioned, or mixing in the New Jersey-born Lairds Applejack to a Hot Toddy, the crisp apple flavor of apple brandy is a great addition to any fall night at home.

Get ready to embrace the changing seasons with these 11 apple brandy-based cocktails from VinePairs recipe library.

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More Fall Recipes To Try

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*This post has been sponsored by SweeTango®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Best Overall: St George Spirits California Reserve

Bentley Cocktail Recipe – featuring Apple Brandy

Courtesy of Wine.com

Tasting Notes: Baked apple, honey, cake spices

“They do impeccable distillations at St. George,” says Krueger. “There’s a nod to tradition but with everything modern in the production.” At their state-of-the-art facility in Alamdeda, California, the prolific California outfit takes a field blend of apples sourced from a regional family orchard, distills it, and ages it in a combination of French and American oak for a brandy that Desoblin calls “quite powerful, quite rich.”

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The Fiery Caramel Apple Hot Toddy Recipe

Another riff on the Hot Toddy, this kicks it up a notch by combining apple brandy, turbinado simple syrup, lemon bitters, and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky for a spiced hot cider flavor. The natural brown sugar in the turbinado simple syrup adds a caramel flavor, while the spice of Fireball is balanced out by lemon bitters.

The Autumnal Daiquiri Recipe

The Daiquiri is so much more than just a summer cocktail. This fall-inspired version replaces white rum with Calvados apple brandy, and simple syrup with honey syrup. Shake both ingredients with lime juice and aromatic bitters, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a fan of thinly sliced apples.

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New American Apple Brandies

Though Laird & Company reigns as the grandfather of American apple brandy as we know it, other local producers have been fiddling in the orchard as wellwith exciting results.

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Take Black Dirt Distillery in Warwick, New York, which is honoring the regions historic ties to apple spirits. The Black Dirt region was home to dozens of applejack distilleries prior to Prohibition, and today, the distillery offers a Bonded Apple Jack made from New Yorkgrown Jonagold apples. Also consider Harvest Spirits Distillery, which produces Cornelius Applejack, a smooth, refined apple brandy made from local apples and aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels.

Apple brandy isnt confined to the Northeast either. Even bourbon country is getting into the apple business thanks to Copper & Kings distillery. In the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, Copper & Kings produces a copper-pot-distilled apple brandy thats matured in Kentucky bourbon barrels and sherry casks. It has an aromatic spirit with hints of sherry and butterscotch.

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Clear Creek Distillery in Hood River, Oregon, also makes an excellent apple brandy thats considered a worthy rival of Calvados. Made with Golden Delicious apples from the Yakima Valley, its aged in a combination of old and new French Limousine oak barrels for eight or more years. The result is a smooth, pale golden spirit that nicely balances the flavor of sweet apples and oaky wood and is easily sipped neat or in cocktails.

The Sweet New Years Recipe

Homemade Apple Brandy! Make the colder Winter months warm up with this ...

This Old Fashioned-inspired drink uses honey syrup in place of the cocktails traditional simple syrup, and apple brandy instead of bourbon. Combine these ingredients with a few dashes of Angostura bitters, and garnish with honey syrup-dipped apples dusted with cinnamon a take on a Rosh Hashanah tradition celebrating the Jewish New Year.

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Using Fresh Apple Juice

This is an apple juice-based cocktail, complemented by apple brandy, lemon juice and a demerara sugar syrup. As one of the main core ingredients is apple juice, I chose to freshly juice a few SweeTango® apples in order to maximize flavor and freshness!

To juice my apples, a chose to quarter each whole apple before placing them in my juicer. I turned on my juicer, allowing the apple juice to strain into a cup as seen above. Finally, I set the apple juice aside before preparing my cocktail and stored the leftovers in the fridge to enjoy later!

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Courtesy of Drizly.com

Tasting Notes: Fresh apples, brown sugar, pastry

Desoblin declares this New World bottle tremendous for its “Old World take” on apple brandy. Aged in French oak, it’s a dead ringer, he says, for “a 20-year-old brandy from Normandy.” He likes its balance of richness with vibrant, fruity, crushed-apple aromas, and the many-layered complexity that comes on in explosive waves of apple expression.

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How To Make Home Made Apple Brandy

In order to make homemade brandy you first must choose the fruit you want to use for the wine. Pears, apples, grapes, peaches and plums are all great fruits which can be processed into wine. If the wine is being made from berries, sugar will need to be added as berries are lower in sugar than other types of fruit. Making brandy at home is a great way to capture the flavors and fragrances of summer and fall fruits all year long. Fall is a great time to pick apples which once turned into cider can then be fermented into dry cider. The dry cider will then be distilled into apple brandy. To make brandy at home youll need to gather your fruit and start the fermentation process at least a month before you plan distill it to make brandy.