Calvados - The Norman Holemaker
An apple a day may be good for you, but in Normandy, France, the home of Calvados they prefer to take their medicine in liquid form. It is a local tradition that during the evening meal, a glass of local apple brandy is drunk in one gulp. This is the trou Normand, or “Norman holemaker” to settle the stomach and re-awaken the apetite in between dishes. (As Norman gastronomy is rich in butter and cream, and the local cheeses Camembert, Livarot and Pont I'Eveque, the trou Normand seems a sensible suggestion). When the Norseman came to this part of France, straddling the mouth of the Seine in the 9th century, they found parts were covered with wild apple trees. They and the local Bretons fermented the apple juice into a rough cider, and cider (followed by apple brandy) became part of the local way of life.
Throughout its history the apple has been a pillar in the economic and cultural welfare of Normandy, symbolised on the flag of the general council of Calvados. Today, the region’s orchards flourish, totalling over nine million trees. Orchards vary from those with tall, well established apple trees in traditional countryside, where cows graze in their shade; to those orchards with shorter, younger plantings devoted solely to the production of fruit. Here, the grass is regularly machine-mowed so as to form a lawn which will cushion the fall of the apples. The locals will tell you that the best seasons to visit are the spring (just imagine a bouquet of nine million trees covered with pink and white blossom) and the autumn, when the air is heavy with the scent of ripening apples. This scent is also captured in every bottle of Calvados – and even at a venerable age, Calvados never loses the aroma of ripe apples. While over ten million bottles of Calvados being sold each year (with 50% exported), this classic spirit is only beginning to enjoy a well deserved revival as one of the world’s great after dinner drinks.
Brief History
While the writings of the Celts and the Romans refer to numerous wild species of apple tree growing on Norman soil, the precise origins of Calvados are difficult to trace. The first written reference to the distillation of cider with a view to obtaining brandy dates back to the 28th March 1553, in a diary by an agronomist and gastronomer from the Cotentin, the Lord of Gouberville. He commissioned the blacksmith in Mesnil‑au‑Val on the Cotentin peninsula to build him a still for the making of brandy from apples. Whether Gouberville was a forerunner or whether he was referring to something which was common practice is not known, but it was during the same period, in 1600, that the apple brandy distillers guild was established. This was how apple brandy first obtained its birth certificate. Its christening, however, did not take place for another 200 years when the "El Calvador", a vessel from the Spanish Armada shipwrecked on the rocks off the coast of Normandy. One of the coastal villages in apple country took the French version of this name of the galleon before it was adopted for the region’s now-famous spirit. Norman apple brandy caught on to the extent that in 1684 the English apple growers were challenged to produce brandy from their cider to stop the flood of 'foreign brandy.' They did not succeed.
In France, before the Revolution, the sale of Norman apple brandy was limited to the area in which it was produced as a way of protecting the market held by the long established wine-based brandies, Armagnac & Cognac. In 1792 and 1793 these rules were liberalised and apple brandy from the production area nearest to Paris benefited. After the devastation of World War II, many cider-houses and distilleries were reconstructed, mainly in the Pays d'Auge region of Normandy. Some traditional farmhouse structures have been replaced by modern agriculture with high volume output, although many ancient cider presses with circular millstones made of granite can still be seen throughout the Normandy countryside, standing like monoliths to an uncertain heritage.
Appellation
Like most French regional products with unique traditions, calvados is governed by an ‘appellation contrôlée’ system (A.O.C. or Appellation of Controlled Origin), a set of rules designed to guarantee and maintain the characteristics and quality of the product and its century-old traditions. The designated area where apple trees for making brandy are grown is overall quite large, running south of the mouth of the Seine (with one pocket to the north) down to the Cotentin peninsula and inland for around 95kms. However the growing area has been further subdivided into one appellation and 10 regulamentee areas, and only parts of each can be planted. The best area is the appellation Pays d'Auge, around and inland from Lisieux. Whereas in the other ten regions the calvados can be made in a continuous still, in Pays d'Auge it must be made in the double distillation pot still.
The varieties of apples used; the type of pressing and fermentation; the distillation and the ageing process are also regulated. Apple brandy that does not fill the criteria is called ‘Eau de vie de cidre’. These are usually produced outside of the A.O.C. area, mainly in Brittany, but can also be of high quality.
There are three named types of A.O.C. with slightly different regulations:
1. ‘AOC calvados’ – the basic appellation making over 70% of total production.
Spirits are required a minimum of two years ageing in oak barrels.
The ‘terroir’ (geographical / climatic characteristics) is defined.
The apples and pears are specific cider varieties.
Production processes like pressing, fermentation, distillation and ageing are regulated.
Distillation is usually by single column still.
2. ‘AOC calvados Pays d’Auge’, the most quality-oriented appellation. When labelled calvados Pays d’Auge the calvados have fulfilled the basic requirements of the A.O.C. together with several additional requirements, including:
Ageing for minimum of two years in oak barrels.
Double distillation in an alembic pot-still.
Production within a designated area.
A minimum of six weeks fermentation of the cider before distillation.
Control of flavouring elements.
3. ‘AOC calvados Domfrontais’. Brandies from this region are made of at least 30% pears. It may surprise some to learn that pears are permitted in the production of Calvados. The appellation was created in 1997 and reflects the long tradition of pear orchards in the area. The Northern part of Calvados, particularly the appellation Pays d'Auge, has a softer soil more conducive to the shallow roots of apple trees, so nearly all Calvados from the Pays d'Auge is made with apples alone. In contrast, the southern appellation of Calvados, the Domfrontais, has clay and limestone soil better suited to the strong, deep roots of pear trees. The inclusion of pears makes not only for a lighter-coloured spirit, but also one which emits a more feminine and elegant bouquet.
The regulations are similar to the A.O.C. calvados and require:
A minimum of 30% pears to be used from the designated areas.
A three-year minimum of ageing in oak barrels.
Orchards to consist of at least 15% pear trees (25% from the sixteenth harvest).
The column still is used.
Lastly, fermier (‘farm-made’) calvados is still occassionaly encountered. Some quality minded producers both inside and outside the Pays d’Auge make ‘calvados fermier’, which indicates that the calvados is entirely made on the farm in a traditional agricultural way according to high quality demands. Pommeau - A sweet blend of two-thirds apple juice and one-third calvados aged in oak, produced for centuries by Norman farmers, was also officially recognised gaining its own Appellation d’Origine Controlee in 1991.
Production
Generally there are four parts to the calvados story: the farmer, the co‑operative, the distiller and the merchant. But before the farmer delivers his crop of apples to the local co‑operative for processesing into cider, (though some also distil), we must return to the orchards. For the production of quality Calvados begins with the apple - and not just any apple. Normandy’s cider apples tend to be small and tart, closer in type to powerfully aromatic crab apples, than to modern table apples. Some are sweet (Rouge Duret), others are acid (Rambault) or bitter sweet (Argile rouge, Binet rouge, Saint Martin, Mettais and Frequin). Traditional producers grow 20 to 40 varieties of apple, ensuring the production of a juice containing the necessary sugar, tannins and acidity. The secret of the flavour is said to be in the fruit size. As a rule, the smaller the apples, the greater the aromatic intensity.
There are three different periods of ripening: Early season apples (which ripen in September); mid season apples (ripening from October to mid-November) and late-season apples, (harvested in December and generally stored until January). The mid and later season apples are used for the production of Calvados. Early season apples would have to be mashed when temperatures are still too high for the production of quality cider for distillation. Traditionally the harvest was carried out by shaking the branches of high stem trees. The apples would fall onto tarpaulins spread out below then gathered by hand and placed in sacks. Quality producers will handpick apples to avoid damaging the fruit. Apples to be used for calvados would be stored on the floor, piled to a height of about 70 centimetres or kept in open worked wooden boxes called padox.
The apples must all be equally ripe when the crusher transforms the apples into a homogeneous pulp. The pulp is left to work for a few hours allowing the apples to soften, making it easier to extract the juice, tannins and aromas once the pulp is conveyed to a hydraulic batch press, which extracts the juice by squeezing. Most of the flavour is extracted from the skin and not from the pulp. Compared with cider for drinking, cider used for distillation is fermented until crisp dry. The fermentation takes place in large oak barrels taking anything from six weeks to a year depending on the producer. The juice can then be aged for a further year before distillation.
Distillation
As in Armagnac, many early stills were mounted on wheels so they could travel the countryside bringing their skills to farms, and this is still practised today. Pot stills are used for the production of AOC Calvados Pays d’Auge. During distillation, only the pure middle part, the alcools de coeur is kept, and this is distilled a second time, with again only the middle part kept, and the remainder going back for redistillation. The liquid produced is not called calvados but “eau de vie de cider” and is colourless with strength in the region of 70%. In general the flavour of calvados distilled in double distillation is more complex compared to that distilled in a continuous still.
The continuous still or column still is used for the production of “AOC Calvados” and “AOC Calvados Domfrontais.” It is easier to control and runs continuously, making it a safer and cheaper choice. Distillation takes place in a single operation. The cider enters the top of one column, passing downwards from plate to plate. The more volatile compounds evaporate out due to the heat and the vapour given off.These vapours condense in a second column producing a liquid with again strength in the region of 70%.
Maturing & Blending
The fiery young spirit is then sold to a merchant who ages it, usually in Limousin casks, though used port and sherry casks are also employed (these yield fewer bitter tannins and gives finer colour, more body and greater aromatic richness). A minimum of two years or three years in the case of Calvados Domfrontais is required but much spirit is aged for a great deal longer - some between 20 - 60 years - often firstly in small new casks and then in older larger barrels. As time goes by the most volatile compounds that give the young calvados its burning mouthfeel disappear. The spirit extracts various substances from the wood, including tannins that give it colour and body. Its bouquet intensifies and its colour changes from golden to deeper and deeper shades of amber. On contact with oxygen, the wood compounds undergo chemical transformations producing still more aromas. Whilst in the cask the calvados evaporates through pores of the wood and this is known as the “Angels share”, representing an annual loss of between 1 and 3 percent in volume. (This can rise to 6 percent from smaller casks). This loss is compensated for by the concentration and complexing of aromas in particular, improving overall quality. Hence big casks are often half filled to increase evaporation. Once deemed mature, the merchant blends the spirit before selling it under his own name.
With blended Calvados, the age indicated on the bottle is that of the youngest Calvados in the blend. Thus a Calvados labelled as 20 years old may contain Calvados which is still older. Remember that once the Calvados is bottled it evolves no more. So it’s the length of time in the cask that is the critical factor. When the label states a year it indicates that the Calvados originates from a lone distillation during the stated year. There are several basic designations od quality:
1. Fine Three Apples Three Stars Original
Refers to Calvados aged for a minimum of 2 years in oak casks. The product is generally a pale shade of yellow, has a straight-forward fruity flavour and can be enjoyed in cooking, cocktails, well chilled as a shot or with ice as an aperitif.
2. Reserves Vieux * Young Domfrontais
The Calvados has been aged for a minimum of 3 years in oak casks, is the colour of straw and light amber with a flavour of fresh fruit. It can be enjoyed as an aperitif, in cocktails, as a shot or as a digestive.
3. VO VSOP * Old Reserve
The Calvados has been aged for a minimum of 4 years in oak casks and is yellow with darker strokes of amber and gold. It has a flavour of tangy apples, dried fruit balanced with nut and chocolate and can be enjoyed as a digestive.
4. XO Napoleon Hors d’ age Age Inconnu * Extra and First Rate
The Calvados has been aged for a minimum of 6 years or up to 60 years+ in oak casks. It is dark gold or brown with an orange, ruby or mahogany hue. It generally has a round, smooth texture, a delicate flavour and aromas reminiscing of its origins - wood and ripe fruit. To be enjoyed in rare moments.
Apple Brandy around the World: In the United States, Applejack, as Apple Brandy is called locally, is thought by many to be the first spirit produced in the British colonies. This colonial tradition has continued on the East Coast with the Laird’s Distillery in New Jersey (established in 1780 and the oldest distillery in America). Apple Brandies that are more like eau-de-vie are produced in California and Oregon.
Enjoying Calvados
Calvados is most typically served straight and at room temperature. The colour of the spirit ranges from light yellow towards darker shades of straw, amber and gold and then dark browns the older the blend. The more common aromas are ripe apple, peach, apricot, vanilla, wood, caramel, tobacco and leather. These charateristics are often echoed on the palate. Calvados is also amongst the most versatile of spirits. It can be served as an aperitif, blended in drinks, as a digestive and has a long tradition of culinary use in Normandy.
For cocktails or mixing, younger examples of Calvados are recommended.
Calvados with Tonic Water at a ratio of 1 to 7 is a harmonious marriage.
A dash of Crème Cassis added to Calvados is deliciously different, sweet on the surface, dark and spirity underneath. An espresso or small strong black coffee with a shot of Calvados was for a some time the only way coffee was drunk in France. In the farmhouses and inns of Normandy, when people have drunk their coffee and while the cup is still warm, they pour a little Calvados on to what remains in the cup ; the Calvados takes warmth from the remaining heat and captures the coffee flavour. The blend of tastes is apparantly best experienced with coffee made from beans from Haiti or from Permanbuco in Brazil, which have a hint of apple flavour.
Cocktails have a long tradition in Normandy and Calvados can suitably replace many spirits such as tequila, rum or whiskey. Here are two specifically created for Calvados:
Po Pomme
Put in a mixing glass with some ice cubes:
6/10 Calvados
4/10 Cherry Brandy
2 splashes of Angostura
Stir well long and serve in large tumbler glasses. Top off with cider (brut). Decorate to taste with some parts of apple and 3 preserved cherries.
Golden Dawn
Created at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London, and recipient of the top prize at the International Cocktail Competition in 1930
* 1/4 gin
* 1/4 Calvados
* 1/4 orange juice
* 1/4 apricot brandy
Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass; garnish with a cherry and drizzle a dash of grenadine into the bottom of the glass.
Recipe: Pork Normandy
Preparation time: 1.20
For the meat
2 Pork Loins
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of Butter
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Black pepper
1⁄4 cup of calvados
For the sauce
2 cups of calvados
2 apples peeled cored and thinly sliced
10 tablespoons sugar
1⁄2 stick of butter
Black pepper
1 pint of heavy cream
Preparation Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F
2. Rinse the pork; lay in roasting pan (on a rack). Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour a 1⁄4 cup of calvados over the pork. Lay sprigs of thyme on top. Put in oven and rotate every 20 minutes it should be medium-rare in approximately an hour and ten minutes.
3. While that’s going on peel and slice the apples and put in a bowl, pour 1⁄2 the brandy over them and toss. Put in the fridge.
4. About 50 minutes into cooking the pork, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat melt the butter and put in the apples and calvados. Once the butter starts to caramelise, turn the heat up high then after a minute add the rest of the Calvados. Light a match and burn off the Calvados whilst shaking the pan. Once the calvados has burned off, pour in the heavy cream and mix with a wooden spoon.
5. Take out the roast and slice into medallions. Arrange them on a plate with perhaps garlic mashed potatoes and top them with the apple slices. Then drizzle the sauce over them and around the edge of the plate.