Calvados, the tipsier version of apple cider, is reputed to have roots in 8th-century Normandy, France. It is a type of brandy, but differs from those made in Cognac and Armagnac, because calvados is distilled from cider, not grapes.
More than 200 varieties of applecan be used in the distillation of calvados, which requires a balance of tart, sweet and bitter fruit. To make the cider, apples are picked when ripe, washed, pressed and fermented – a process that takes six to 12 weeks. Fermentation uses only the natural yeasts from the skins and the natural sugars in the fruit, at ambient temperatures; heating or cooling the pressed apples is not permitted. The resulting cider contains about 4.5 per cent alcohol.
Two types of distillation method are allowed – alembic and continuous column still. Calvados made using the first method, where the cider is distilled twice, has a lovely complexity after ageing in oak for a minimum of two years. After the second distillation, the calvados is colourless and potent (about 70 per cent alcohol). Barrel-ageing gives the brandy its toasty amber colour, and the longer it is aged the deeper the hue.
Calvados made in a continuous column still is meant to be enjoyed young as it has a tart, fresh, appley taste. Minimum ageing is two years and batches can be blended together before bottling, resulting in a brandy that contains 40 to 45 per cent alcohol. A little water is permitted to lower the strength.
The department of Calvados has three subregions: AOC Calvados, AOC Calvados Pays d’Auge and AOC Calvados Domfrontais.
AOC Calvados makes about 70 per cent of the total produced in the region. Most producers use the continuous column still method, which has a shorter distillation time.
AOC Calvados Pays d’Auge produces the best calvados with production concentrated around the villages of Orne and Eure. Distillation must be by the alembic method and takes six weeks. The brandy is aged in casks and vats of varying sizes, usually with a capacity of 250 to 400 litres, but some producers use 10,000-litre vats that have been handed down through the generations. Certain producers make a vintage calvados, which is usually bottled as is, without the addition of water.
One unusual presentation of calvados is “pomme prisonnière”, which is made by suspending a bottle containing an apple bud from the branch of an apple tree. The bud grows into an apple inside the bottle and, in the autumn, the bottle and fruit are cut from the tree. The bottle is then filled with calvados.
AOC Calvados Domfrontais brandy is made in a small area around Domfront. It is much fruitier, as it combines pears (30 per cent) and apples (70 per cent). Both methods of distillation are allowed.
To bring out the complex apple and caramel aromas, calvados is best served in a small wine glass, not a snifter. A tarte Tatin is a natural pairing for calvados, as are Normandy cheeses such as creamy camembert de Normandie or neufchâtel, a lively pont-l’Évêque and, for the brave, a pungent, washed-rind livarot.
In France, there are two calvados drinking traditions. Le trou Normand involves taking small sips of calvados between courses as a palate cleanser or as a digestif after dinner, while cafe Calva is espresso with a shot of calvados.
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