There’s nothing like sitting outside at Baron’s Cove, the sun on your face and a salty breeze in your hair. You can imagine that may well have been a favored pastime of John Steinbeck’s, too. The famed American author and sometime Sag Harbor resident was a fan of winding down with a cocktail at the bar of the old, far less fancy version of the waterside hotel and restaurant.
His pick? The Jack Rose. This classic sipper came into being around the turn of the last century, likely created in the great garden state of New Jersey, which is why the base spirit is traditionally applejack, an American apple brandy.
Today, Baron’s Cove chooses to give the drink a Francophile edge, using France’s lovely counterpoint to American applejack, Calvados. Head on over to the bar at this storied Sag Harbor spot, raise a glass to great literature and Baron’s 65th Anniversary with Steinbeck’s favorite sunset-hued tipple. Or try your hand at one yourself…
John Steinbeck’s favorite Jack Rose
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 oz Calvados
- 1 oz house-made grenadine
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- lemon twist, for garnish
Grenadine
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 1 oz pomegranate molasses (optional)
Directions
- Combine first three ingredients in a shaker with ice.
- Shake well for about 10 to 15 seconds, or until shaker tin is icy cold.
- Strain into a coupe. Garnish with the lemon twist. Cheers!
To make the grenadine:
- In a small pot, combine the first three ingredients over medium heat.
- Stirring occasionally, cook at a low simmer for about 10 minutes, until all sugar has dissolved and the mixture gets a little syrupy.
- Add in the pomegranate molasses (if using). Simmer on low for another minute.
- Allow to cool and store in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.
