Today’s story is about a legendary character. Someone whose name still echoes across the old American Frontier. Someone who may actually turn out to be more fact, than fiction.
The cocktail I have made for you today is called the Indiana Pothead and it is based on the American folk hero, Johnny Appleseed. It’s a sweet concoction that consists of apple cider, apple juice, apple jack, amaretto, frangelico, and bourbon. It’s a love letter to all things apple and the iconic man who planted them.
Growing up, I remember hearing the tale of Johnny Appleseed. A man who planted apple seeds wherever he went so they would grow into beautiful apple trees and ensure people would never go hungry. His simple attire showed his humility, as he only wore sackcloth or rugged clothing, and of course he had his signature pot on top of his head.
But Johnny Appleseed wasn’t just a legend. His story is actually based on a real man; and that man was John Chapman. Of course, there has been so much folklore and legend written around the life of Chapman, that it can be difficult to tell fact from fiction. But today, I am going to take you through the story of Chapman, and I’ll share with you my sources, and when we’re finished you can decide: who really was the man behind the myth?
John Chapman was born in Leominster, Massachusetts in 1774. His legendary exploits, as far as we know, began in 1805 when Chapman left his family farm in Ohio and began to venture around the United States, beginning in Pennsylvania and Ohio, to start nurseries from the apple seeds he could get from cider mills.
Unlike the folklore stemming from the stories written about him, Chapman was not simply planting his seeds at random, no, he was a savvy businessman. He would go about the area and select the best tracts of unclaimed land. Then he began nurseries for apple orchards with a wide variety of different apple species. He would purposefully plant his orchard and then take driftwood or deadwood in the surrounding forest and create rudimentary fencing to block off and protect his plants. Once his trees began to grow, he would then sell them to others to make ends meet.
Interestingly, the very act of creating these popup nurseries in nature provided legal standing for land claims in the future, so by the time he passed in 1845, Chapman owned more than 1,400 acres of land. But, he didn’t trust banks, so any money he made with his acres and acres of land, he buried. This is partly the reason for his modest appearance—with all of his cash only accessible by shovel, he bartered for his needs. In fact, most of his clothes were traded to him.
Unlike most popular apple varieties we see today which are commercially produced for their sweet flavor, Chapman planted a wide variety of apple species in his legendary life. Some were tart, or mushy, or bitter, small, large, or oblong. But they were all still apples.
So, you may be thinking, “Gabe, if the apples weren’t edible, then what was the point of planting the apple trees?”
Well, you may recall I mentioned that one of the sources for Chapman’s constant stream of apple seeds was cider mills. Yes my friends, that’s right. All these different kinds of apples could be used to make apple cider or apple jack! Good ol’ John Chapman didn’t just bring apples to the Ohio river valley, he brought alcohol. And a legend was born.
You have to understand that apple cider was huge back in the day, and since it’s not super high in alcoholic content, it was seen as being a safe beverage for the whole family to enjoy. And as such was a staple on the dinner table year-round. Johnny Appleseed bringing apple-y alcohol to the frontier? Okay, that’s just too perfect! So, inspired by the man, the myth, the legend… let’s begin constructing our cocktail.
Our first ingredient is going to be that staple of the early 19th century American homes, 2 oz of apple cider. Now this is non-alcoholic cider, but don’t worry we’ll be adding plenty of those elements later. We will follow that up with 2 oz of organic apple juice, this will add a purer apple flavor without some of the spices we find in the cider. Next is 1 oz of apple jack, and the brand I’m using, Captain Apple Jack, is about 80 proof (or 40 percent alcohol), so there’s plenty of it, but this doesn’t add a ton of apple flavor, so, if you want more of that, you can substitute another brand that brings out more of that flavor. Jack Daniels Apple, for example, would work very well here.
Next, we will throw in 1 oz of bourbon to add some woody notes and ½ oz of amaretto and ¼ oz of Frangelico, to give it some nuttiness. Lastly, I want to add some cinnamon and nutmeg to really elevate the drink’s spiciness and bring it all together! And now, shake it.
Finally, we’ll strain into our copper-mule glass, filled with ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick and a slice of granny smith apple. There you have it, the Indiana Pothead! It’s a gorgeous looking cocktail that’s spicy, sweet, nutty, woody, and most importantly, its apple-y. It’s like drinking less sweet apple pie filling. It’s truly, a love letter to the humble yet delicious apple, at least in my opinion.
