A Refreshing New Hostess Gift

Most brown liquor connoisseurs don’t know that before we had rye, rum or moonshine we had applejack — the first distilled spirit in the colonies. Yet after Prohibition, it never made it back into drinkers’ glasses. But thanks to Marin resident Samantha Collins and her husband, John, Arkansas Black Applejack is now available from most alcohol retailers. How does it taste? According to a blog called Drinkhacker, “This 21-year-old applejack squarely lives somewhere between brandy and whiskey, with loads of vanilla and caramel on the nose, plus some barrel char … The finish is long, minimal in the boozy aftereffect that’s so common with fruit brandies.” Drink on its own or mix into a cocktail.