Constantly in search of new Michigan products for cocktails, Tammy Coxen of Tammy’s Tastings found a liquor that was new to her. It’s actually been out for a couple of years. It’s Coppercraft Distillery’s Applejack. Coppercraft is in Holland and has been around since 2012.
The cocktail she decided to mix is the Jack Rose. It’s a classic cocktail which was really popular in the 1920s and 30s. “While other cocktails from that period such as the Martini or the Manhattan have come roaring back, the Jack Rose is still a little bit of an underdog,” Coxen said.
The Jack Rose calls for grenadine, but Coxen thinks rather than buy a bottle at the grocery store liquor aisle, your best bet is to make your own grenadine at home. “Grenadine in these classic recipes was actually a pomegranate syrup and what you buy in the store today is (often) artificially flavored and artificially colored corn syrup,” Coxen explained.
Below are the recipes for the cocktail and the grenadine.
Jack Rose
2 oz apple brandy
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz grenadine
Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake and strain into cocktail glass.
Grenadine:
1 c pomegranate juice
1 c sugar
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (optional)
Combine pomegranate juice and sugar in saucepan and heat until sugar is fully dissolved. Add pomegranate molasses if desired for deeper pomegranate flavor. Keep refrigerated.