Episode 39: Colonial Stone Fence

  • 2 ounces of dark rum

  • Hard cider (tart, dry, funky cider is best) *see note

  • Garnish options: lemon, sliced apple, or fresh herbs

Pour rum over ice in a tall bar or collins glass. Top off with cider and garnish with a lemon twist, a slice of apple, or a sprig of mint if desired.

*Note: This will produce a Stone Fence similar to the one Colonial Americans might have enjoyed. If you prefer, feel free to substitute a sweeter, fruitier cider for a more modern flavor.

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In the 1770s, The Catamount Tavern, in what is now Vermont, was Ethan Allen’s home bar and also served as the headquarters for the Green Mountain Boys militia group that he commanded.

Legend has it that the night before their pre-dawn capture of Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775, Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and the Green Mountain Boys were drinking round after round of Stone Fence cocktails. This colonial new England classic gave them the liquid courage needed to take the fort by surprise.

The Stone Fence is probably named after the primitive stacked stone fences surrounding farmland all over New England. In the days of Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, it was made with tart hard cider and dark molasses-y New England rum.  Over the years though, the drink evolved. About a century later, when Jerry Thomas published a recipe, his Stone Fence was made with sweet nonalcoholic pressed cider and bourbon whiskey. While the Jerry Thomas version is undeniably delicious, this recipe is closer to the original 18th century version.


Episode 10: The Jack Rose


  • 2 ounces Applejack

  • 3/4 ounce grenadine, (be sure the ingredients contain pomegranate)

  • 1/2 ounces fresh lemon juice

  • 1 dash aromatic bitters

  • Lemon twist (optional)

Combine applejack, grenadine, lemon juice, and bitters in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake vigorously until frosted. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Squeeze lemon twist over surface of drink, skin-side-out to release fragrant oils. Garnish with twist and enjoy!

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Applejack is considered America’s first spirit. It was originally made by freeze distilling hard apple cider in Colonial America.


The Jack Rose is made with applejack, grenadine, and lemon or lime juice. It was referenced in print as far back as 1905, but was popular in the 1920s and 1930s, notably appearing in Ernest Hemingway's 1926 classic, The Sun Also Rises. It was also a favorite drink of John Steinbeck.

One quick note on grenadine… Don’t use the neon red grenadine you buy at the grocery store for Shirley temples in this recipe. Real grenadine is made from pomegranate juice and tastes totally different. It’s really easy to make it yourself, but these days it’s also easy to find good quality cocktail grenadine online.