Calvados is an apple brandy with Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status. It can only be produced in Normandy, much like Cognac is a specific brandy that can only be distilled from white wine made within a particular region from certain grapes. Calvados isn’t distilled from wine grapes, however. It begins as cider.
While a small percentage of perry pears is permitted, the base cider is made primarily from apples. These must be grown in Normandy, where more than 200 varieties are cultivated. Producers can use four types of apples: sweet, bittersweet, bitter and bittersharp. The fruit is pressed and fermented, then distilled into an eau de vie and aged at least two years in oak.
The first written records of apple eau-de-vie and apple brandy date to the 1500s, but it wasn’t until the 19th century, when phylloxera destroyed countless European vineyards and decimated France’s Cognac supply, that Calvados enjoyed much popularity beyond its birthplace.
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