The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-20
NEW JERSEY APPLEJAOK.
How the Fruit Is Converted Into the Fiery
Beverage-An Off Year.

How the Fruit Is Converted Into the Fiery
Beverage-An OFF Year.
Letter in Philadelphia Press.
Just now the manufacture of "appleiack"
is in full blast all through this part of New
Jersey. Sussex county produces more apple
whisky to the square mile than any one
county in the United States. Applejack is
about all that Sussex county does produce,
except ring Democrats and trotting horses.
Appejack is remarkable tipple. A man
never wants to get drunk on it more than
once.
Although this is what is called an ''off"
year, the amount of this fiery beverage pro-
duced in Sussex county will not fall short of
10000 gallons. 1t is singular fact that
those years which are divisible by the figure
2 are the best years for making apple whisky.
Last year being good season." the crop of
sussex county was nearly or quite $4,000
gallons; in 1880 it was 100, 900 gallons. The
liquor originated in Montague, Sussex
county, where the first barrel of applejack
was manufactured and made by Squire
Saunder Ennis.
The process of distilling the liquor is ex-
tremely primitive; at various convenient
points all through the county, generally
in the neighborhood of the largest
orchards are erected large sheds
containing the 'milp' and the ''press."
These buildings are usually located
on a side hill The apples are ground
up fine between two huge wooden wheels,
which are turned around in big trough by
two horses fastened 10 a long wooden pole.
The pomace, or pulp of the apples is shov-
eled into trough and taken to the press,
where it is placed between layers of clean
straw and put under heavy pressure.
The juice thus extracted runs through a
wooden pipe iuto huge watts, where it is left
undisturbed until it reaches stage of fer
mentation which is called "ripening." 1t re-
quires great skill and experience to judge
when the cider is ripe" for any delay in
removing the alcohol by distillation after it
is ripe" would be fatal to the yield of apple
jack, and the distiller would have nothing
but lot of vinegar after all his labor.
The ''still" is an immense copper boiler,
! perfectly alright, surlnounted by coil OF
pipe that passes through tank of cold water.
A hot fire is constantly kept under the kettle;
an even temperature is necessary in order to
get fine liquor. The cider runs through a
ciphon into the kettle, where the heat turn:
| it into vapor, which, passing through the
cool coil of pipe, again condenses it, and il
emerges pure appleiack.
The whisky is so strong, however, when
| first made that it defies even the iron-clad
| stomach of Sussex county granger. 1t is
pure white, but mellow, and with age taking
| on, after few years, pale yellow hue. o.
course, dealers and distillers have all kinds
of tricks for palming off new applejack fore
superior old whisky. Burned peach pits
added to liquor fresh from the still will give
it the appearance of twenty year-od
brand" while brown sugar, skillfully burned
| has the same effect.
The cost of the whisky to the distiller il
small, and the price at the still is So gallon
which includes the tax of ninety cents
gallon. The older the liquor is the more val
liable it is. There are many barrels of apple
jack stored away in these Jersey cellars tina
| is worth from $40 to $50 gallon. The ap
Piles bring from fifteen to forty cents bush
| ell, according to the season and size of the
crops, and each bushel will make gallon o
| the whisky.
| The revenue to the United States from ap
| pie whisky is given at about $4,000 per an
num- and two-thirds of it comes from Sussex
| county,