Liberty Cocktail
I have two dogs. I love them tremendously and they’re a big part of our family. They take care of us and we take care of them, which means that every morning and every night they get a walk. Their walks mean we get a walk as well. We usually walk around the neighborhood, but sometimes we’ll go all the way down to the beach. During these walks I’ll notice flowers blooming or the leaves turning colors as well as the decorations on our neighbors houses. During the winter there will be Christmas lights and Santa Claus while in the summer it’s American flags and fireworks. Everywhere I look these days all I see is red, white and blue which means it must be July and Independence Day is right around the corner.
A Little History Lesson
As I’m sure you’re all aware, the 4th of July is the United States’ holiday to celebrate our Independence and the signing of the Declaration. But did you know that it was signed and first read at Independence Hall in Philadelphia? As a matter of fact, the Liberty Bell was supposedly rung so that all the citizens of Philly could come and hear it read.
What does all this have to do with a cocktail? Well, this week I’m mixing up the Liberty Cocktail, so I thought I’d give you a little background on our nation’s humble beginnings, including one of the nation’s most important landmarks. While the Liberty Bell no longer rings, it’s been a symbol of this nation and everything it’s been through since it was hung inside the tower of Independence Hall in 1751. I know this history lesson seems unusual for Kitchy, but I couldn’t find anything about how or when this classic drink was created. I researched and scoured and scoured and researched, but I came up with a big fat zero. The only thing I know for sure is that the Liberty Cocktail has been around since at least 1935. And I know that only because I found it in my Old Mr. Boston cocktail book which was published in 1935.
The Drink Itself
The fact that I couldn’t find any information about the drink isn’t the only thing different about this cocktail post. It’s also made with Applejack, a liquor I usually use in the fall. But Applejack isn’t the only liquor in this cocktail. It also contains rum which has summer written all over it… mainly because it’s the main ingredient in almost all tiki cocktails, and tiki cocktails are what you drink when you’re on vacation somewhere warm. I used Barking Irons Applejack because I love the apple and caramel flavors from this liquor which blend really well with the rum. In short, you have a cocktail that’s full of apple flavors which are perfect for the summer as well as the 4th.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 ounces Applejack
- 3/4 ounce rum
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a cocktail glass. Add ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a wedge of lime and serve.
