Long before there was a hockey team in New Jersey, The Jersey Devil haunted the Pine Barrens in the southern reaches of our fair state. Within the most populous and most crowded state in The Union, the Pine Barrens is the largest open space on the Eastern Seaboard between the northern forests of Maine and the Everglades of Florida.
South Jersey also boasts the largest cranberry production in the USA and the oldest distilling company in America in Laird & Company (one of the oldest family-owned companies in America, now headed by our friend Lisa Laird).
Older even than Lisa's family's applejack, is the legend of The Jersey Devil. Born of Mother Leeds and possibly the Devil himself, The Jersey Devil is a hoofed and winged creature who flew out of his mother's house soon after being born and haunts South Jersey unto this day.
Of course I don't really buy any of this, but it is a crazy place, replete with ghost towns and long lonely stretches of road. I've ridden my motorcycle through The Pines many times. I've only ridden there once at night, and I must tell you, it was rather creepy. In some small Piney towns, an outsider stopping at a local tavern can get a real "Deliverance" kind of feeling as dusk fades to night.
So, with Halloween approaching, I think it appropriate to name this week's cocktail The Jersey Devil. It's a lovely elixir of muddled fresh cranberries (they're only really good this time of year), Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy, allspice and maple. In fairness, The Smithville Inn mixes a libation called a Jersey Devil, but that is really more of a punch, with ingredients measured in gallons.
The Jersey Devil Cocktail is delicious, seasonal and after a few, the old boy himself might just appear!
Friday we will serve The Jersey Devil Cocktail in The Catherine Lombardi Bar at a 33% discount. We will pass hors d'oeuvres from 5:30 - 9 PM, and the most tasteful cocktail enthusiasts of The Garden State will be in attendance, as is their custom. We hope to see you there!
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