Apple, spice, lemon
Pork chops and baked squash are an ideal pairing here. For lunch, try a burger.
New Jersey was once known as the land of apple orchards, and it’s still home to Laird & Company—the country’s oldest maker of applejack. This cider-centric drink appears in print in 1887 but is probably older. Today, cider is experiencing a renaissance, and it’s worth trying new varieties with this recipe to see how they perform. Think of this drink as a summery mulled cider, though it works year-round. Along similar lines, we also love the Jersey Sour: cider, lemon juice, shaken and topped with berries.
4 ounces (120 ml) hard cider
2 dashes Angostura bitters
½ teaspoon simple syrup (page 241)
Lemon twist and 3 thin apple slices, for garnish
Fill a rocks glass with ice and add the bitters and simple syrup. Top with hard cider and stir. To garnish, fan the apple slices along the side of the glass and add a lemon twist.