The French version of the Wikipedia article [1] actually lists calvados [2] instead of applejack. So who knows what the Lost Generation was drinking, maybe the french version is just as good.

[1]: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Rose_(cocktail)

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvados

Yes, I've made it with Calvados and also with French pear brandy, which was pretty good, but Calvados and Applejack aren't exactly the same. Calvados is done with "cider apples" and Applejack was done with "eating apples" (from my understanding when I was reading into this), which meant Applejack was supposed to be sweeter and was often drunk straight, but it's pretty much disappeared after we learned to make Bourbon in this country.