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.
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.