Calvados

"The Norman takes his fruit in the form of cider and its distillate Calvados ... old Calvados has a more agreeable bouquet, a warmer touch on the heart, and a more outgoing personality than cognac. It is less precocious, but that is only a confirmation of its more profound character."
- A. J. Liebling, Normandy Revisited

We regret that we have never tasted Calvados in circumstances quite as compelling as the ones the great fat writer described - old barrels hidden away from the Nazis and dug out to be enjoyed when the danger had passed. Today, Calvados is sipped in fancy bars whose patrons are bored with expensive cognacs and want a more exotic liquor to throw their money away on. This contradicts what to us seems like the essence of Calvados - an encouragement for celebration among close friends, when the weather is wet and cold.

The production of Calvados is an art, and its distillers should be respected. Never mix anything with a Calvados Pays d'Auge, and think twice before mixing a cocktail with even average Calvados. As far as third type of Calvados, eau-de-vie de cidre, goes, we'd skip it both straight and in a drink. After all, the French aren't even proud of it.

A handful of distilleries in the US are producing apple brandies in the tradition of the French. Clear Creek Distillery, Bonny Doon, and Germain-Robin are the names for which to watch. Although applejack is classed as an apple brandy, you'll find it tastes nothing like Calvados and only a little like apples.