Best Calvados Cocktails

In this article you will learn about Calvados and the best Calvados cocktails!

What is Calvados?

Calvados is an apple brandy produced in the Normandy province in France. It is mainly produced from apples (and sometimes addition of pears is permitted).

Unlike brandy (which is made from wine grapes), calvados is distilled from the cider made from selected apples grown in Normandy.

Calvados-Regions-of-Production-Normandy-France — Source

The apples are harvested and pressed into a juice, which is then fermented into dry cider. Then the cider is distilled into eau de vie (“water of life” in French) and aged for 2-3 years in oak casks. Only after that it can be sold as calvados.

Similar to many French products like wine, cognac, cheese, and others, Calvados status is governed by Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC).

There are three main types of Calvados:

AOC Calvados	Apples must come from defined varieties Single distilled in column still Must be aged for at least 2 years in oak casks
AOC Calvados Pays d’Auge	May contain up to 30% pears Double distilled in pot still Must be column distilled Must be aged for at least 2 years in oak casks
AOC Calvados Domfrontais	Must contain at least 30% pears Must be single distilled in column still Must be aged for at least 3 years in oak casks

Complete requirements here

What does Calvados taste like?

The main taste of Calvados is apple and pear (dominantly apple). You can also taste the fruity and flowery side notes of apricot and sweet spices.

The single-distilled Calvados preserves much more fruitiness from the dry cider, yet the double-distilled Calvados has less rich fruity flavour but adds more complexity and strong flavour which comes from the oak barrels during aging.

Also, younger Calvados resembles significantly more fruity flavour, whereas older Calvados starts to taste more similar to brandy.

How to drink Calvados?

Calvados is one of the drinks you can have almost anytime: before the meal, after the meal, during the meal, and simply anytime you would like it either neat or in a form of a creative cocktail.

There are a few ways of enjoying Calvados:

As an aperitif – drink it neat or on an ice cube before your meal

During your meal (also known as “Trou Normand” meaning Norman Hole) – serve as a small drink between the meal courses
As a digestif – drink it neat after your meal with a slice of dark chocolate
As a dessert (also known as “Coupe Normande”) – recipe here

With coffee (also known as “Café-Calva”) – serve a shot of Calvados with espresso coffee, where Calvados is added to the espresso after each sip to add sweet and fruity flavour
Make delicious cocktails with Calvados