Stone Fence

It’s hard to be on the fence about this cocktail.

The Stone Fence cocktail is a drink that’s basically meant for fall. It’s a simple cocktail with just three ingredients – hard cider, bitters, and bourbon. The simplicity of the cocktail and the use of trendy hard cider makes the Stone Fence feel like a modern mixer, but it actually dates all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

In the early hours on May 10, 1775 a small group of rebels captured the British held Fort Ticonderoga. Today, Ticonderoga is honestly best known for pencils, but in 1775 it was known as the military fort that controlled important trade routes through Lake Champlain. And so the Green Mountain Boys, a militia group in Vermont led by Ethan Allen, decided to lay siege to this important fort. Sure the fort was practically crumbling and not well manned, but the Green Mountain Boys still captured the fort and began the offensive operations of the American rebellion. 

So what does one drink before storming a fort in Vermont to start a revolution? Why, a Stone Fence, of course. As the story goes, the rebels got their liquid courage from a round or two of Stone Fences. At the time, the Stone Fence likely used rum over bourbon, but rum quickly fell out of fashion as America lost touch with the British rum and sugar trade. You can build your Stone Fence with rum, brandy, rye, or bourbon and lazily create it directly in the glass. Just make sure to include a truly Vermont hard cider like Woodchuck for that authentic touch. It’s a sturdy drink that’s the perfect accompaniment for classic fall activities like apple picking, pumpkin patches, and maybe even storming a fort.