New Jersey Cider and Applejack
9781540299222
“New Jersey is the most celebrated cider making district in America,” wrote Andrew Jackson Downing in 1849. At one time, New Jersey grew more apples than any other state, and they have been a key part of life across the Garden State for more than 300 years.
North Jersey orchards produced internationally renowned Newark cider and high-proof apple brandy—known as applejack, cider spirits, Jersey Lightning, and dozens of other nicknames—which were signature products produced in hundreds of New Jersey distilleries. America’s oldest distillery is a Monmouth County applejack maker. Orchardists, cider makers, and distillers made New Jersey applejack famous. In addition, farmers supplied Washington’s Continental Army with spirits during the coldest winters of the American Revolution, and bootleggers produced thousands of gallons of illegal applejack during Prohibition. By the early 20th century, tastes changed, and the cider industry dwindled. Prohibition nearly snuffed it out entirely. In the 21st century, New Jersey cider is experiencing an unprecedented revival.
James Malchow is a New Jersey native and the director of the Ralston Cider Mill Museum in Mendham, Morris County. The Ralston Cider Mill preserves the unique history of cider and applejack in New Jersey. The images in the book are drawn from museums, private collections, public libraries, and other archival collections.
