Review: George Washington’s Apple Brandy

From Johnny Appleseed to apple cider, apples have long been part of the country’s culinary tradition. No one has ever declared anything “as American as peach pie.” So while no official ranking exists, it’s safe to say that apples are the most patriotic fruit.

It is fitting, therefore, that America’s first president, George Washington, made—and presumably consumed—his own apple brandy. Much of the apple brandy found on liquor store shelves today is cheap grape brandy that’s been quickly flavored and in some cases sweetened. But Washington’s apple brandy was an aged, brown, unsweetened spirit distilled directly from apples, almost like apple whiskey.

A replica of Washington’s apple brandy is available for purchase at his Mount Vernon estate. Those who can’t make the trip can pick up a bottle of Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy Bottled In Bond, made from a similar process, at better liquor stores around the country.