A strong alcoholic drink made by freezing hard cider or apple cider, or a type of brandy made from apples.
From 'apple' plus 'jack' (a diminutive or slang term for a common man or a drink). The freezing method concentrates the alcohol, creating a particularly strong beverage popular in colonial America.
Applejack was huge in 1700s America because it's basically the original 'hack' for getting stronger drinks—just freeze your cider to separate ice (water) from the alcoholic part, and boom, you've got high-proof liquor without a still.
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