Jersey Lightning

The ever excellent Washington Post Food section has an article about an indomitable duo's quest to drink a Jack Rose in a DC bar. It's excellent reading except for one crucial error. Their relation of the history of applejack is foul beyond compare, giving credit for this fine beverage to "New England" with no mention of the real perpetuating source of applejack: New Jersey. Sure other places had some form of applejack, but the real source, and the one that kept it on the beverage shelf, was little N.J., thanks to a Scots immigrant from Fife who set up a distillery in the then Colony of New Jersey. Laird's distillery in Colt's Neck, NJ was a main supplier of the spirit since the early 1700's and remains so to this day. (The distillery though is no longer in NJ, but now is located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, a change that your correspondent finds pleasing in its relation to her own meanderings. I just followed the applejack.). Yo Jack Rose lads, your quest for the cocktail is admirable, but if you’re going to praise the applejack, give credit where it’s properly due. Or at least brush up on your geography.