ETHANOL

APPLE BRANDY SOUR

American, 19th century.

COUPE
ETHANOL 19 G131 KCAL FROM ETHANOL4.2 OZ SERVED

SPEC

2 oz · 60 mlAPPLEJACK40 %
¾ oz · 22 mlLEMON JUICE
½ oz · 15 mlSIMPLE SYRUP
1 splashEGG WHITE

1 oz taken as 30 ml in the metric column.

METHOD

  1. 01DRY-SHAKE APPLEJACK + LEMON + SYRUP + EGG WHITE TO EMULSIFY
  2. 02ADD ICE, SHAKE HARD
  3. 03DOUBLE-STRAIN INTO A CHILLED COUPE
  4. 04GARNISH WITH AN APPLE FAN

1 oz taken as 30 ml in the metric column.

STRENGTH // WORKED

Pre-batch3.5 oz mixed with ice, 0.8 oz of it pure alcohol
MeltShaken: +20 % of the pre-batch, +0.7 oz of water
Served3.5 + 0.7 = 4.2 oz in the glass
Strength0.8 ÷ 4.2 = 19.0 % ABV as served
Ethanol0.8 oz × 29.57 ml × 0.789 g/ml = 19 g · about 131 kcal from the alcohol alone

IN THE GLASS

PHLORIDZIN

FROM APPLEJACK · the apple polyphenol

Formula
C₂₁H₂₄O₁₀
Mass
436.41 g/mol
IUPAC
1-[2,4-dihydroxy-6-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyphenyl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-1-one

The apple-skin polyphenol, the molecule that gives hard cider its astringent backbone and tannic structure. Concentrated in skin and core, so cider pressed from whole apples carries far more than juice made from peeled fruit. Pharmacologically interesting too: phloridzin blocks intestinal glucose absorption, which is the mechanism modern SGLT2-inhibitor diabetes drugs took their inspiration from.

PUBCHEM ↗

ALSO IN Jack Rose · Diamondback · Pink Lady · Stone Fence · Spanish Mojito

CITRAL

FROM LEMON · the lemon aroma

Formula
C₁₀H₁₆O
Mass
152.24 g/mol
IUPAC
(2E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienal

Lemon's defining note: technically a mix of two geometric isomers (geranial and neral) that read as the same aroma to the nose. Lemon peel, lemongrass, lemon verbena, and Indian chai all carry it. In cocktails it's what a lemon twist contributes that lemon juice can't: the volatile expressed from the oil glands, not the acid from the pulp.

PUBCHEM ↗

ALSO IN Margarita · Mojito · Daiquiri · Whiskey Sour · Gimlet · Moscow Mule · Paper Plane · Aviation

CHEMISTRY

Applejack, lemon, sugar and egg white. Ethyl esters from apple brandy, citral from lemon and egg-white foam make up the chemistry. The egg white traps the apple's more volatile esters at the surface.

PROVENANCE

Applejack (American apple brandy, made in New Jersey by the Laird family, who date their applejack to 1698; Laird & Company dates to 1780) is one of the oldest American spirits, older than bourbon. The Apple Brandy Sour followed the sour's mid-19th-century rise in apple-growing regions of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The egg-white addition came later, by the early 20th century; the original recipe was sometimes just applejack, lemon, and sugar. Modern recipes pretty universally include the egg white for texture.

BRANDY // NEARBY

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