Brandy/Cognac · Classic · Sweet
Jack Rose Recipe
Apple brandy, lemon, lime, and grenadine — pink, tart, and built for warm weather.
- Prep Time
- 2 min
- Method
- Shaken
- Glass
- Chilled coupe
- Strength
- Balanced
Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.
Last updated September 14, 2026
About the Jack Rose
Jack Rose first appears in print in 1908, calling for raspberry syrup rather than grenadine, before settling into today's version by 1914. The name is genuinely disputed: one story credits Bald Jack Rose, a New York gambler-turned-informant whose favored drink was reportedly applejack with lemon and grenadine; another credits Jersey City bartender Frank J. May, who went by the same nickname. Neither claim has settled the question, and the truth is probably lost to a century of bar-room retelling. What has survived cleanly is the drink itself — a Prohibition-era favorite that fell out of fashion for decades before the classic-cocktail revival brought it firmly back.
Ingredients
- Calvados (apple brandy)1 ½ oz
- Grenadine½ oz
- Fresh lemon juice½ oz
- Fresh lime juice¼ oz
- Lemon zest twist or maraschino cherry, for garnish1, optional
Method
- Fill a glass with ice to chill; set aside.
- Measure and pour the fresh lime juice, fresh lemon juice, grenadine and Calvados into the shaker.
- Add a scoop of ice to the shaker.
- Shake for 15 seconds.
- Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled glass.
- Cut a lemon twist.
- Express the peel over the drink and garnish with it.
Glass & Garnish
Chilled coupe, double-strained. Garnish: lemon zest twist or maraschino cherry, optional.
Notes
Any quality apple brandy or Applejack substitutes for Calvados. Raspberry syrup works in place of grenadine. Not a batching cocktail — fresh-shaken per glass. Pairs with a cheese board, especially sharp cheddar.
Tools Used
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