Calvados

Calvados is a noble apple brandy produced in the Calvados region in southern French Normandy. The history of the name calvados dates back to 1588. In that year, the Spanish ship El Calvados sank on the rocky coast of Normandy. The rocks of the coast have been called calvados since the shipwreck. Gradually, the name moved to the coast. To date, no other apple spirit produced outside the Calvados region may be referred to as Calvados. For the production of calvados, the law lays down rules governing the double distillation of fermented apple cider and a minimum aging period of two years in oak barrels. The principle is that the longer it ripens, the better, fuller taste with a typical admixture of apples, wood, vanilla and almonds. Apples for must are selected with particular care. The recipe states the proportion of varieties of 30% sweet, 30% bitter and 40% sour fruits grown exclusively in Normandy. However, other combinations are possible to obtain different flavors. 18 kg of apples are needed for 1 liter of distillate. In today's bio-times, it is a pleasure that calvados does not contain any chemical additives. It can be given as an aperitif before a meal or as a digestif after a meal to support digestion. We distinguish it according to the markings: Fine, Trois étoiles ***, Trois pommes - the youngest calvados, which matured in the mixture for at least 2 years. Vieux, Réserve - the youngest calvados, which has matured in the mixture for at least 3 years. VO, Vieille Réserve, VSOP - the youngest calvados who have matured in the mixture for at least 4 years and finally XO, Napoléon, Extra, Hors d´Age, Age Inconnu - or even the youngest calvados who have matured in the mixture for at least 6 years.