How To Drink Calvados Like The French

France is known for its buttery cheeses, crusty baguettes, and flaky croissants, but in the north, it's all about the apples. Normandy's mild climate makes it the perfect home for apples, and ever since 1553, the perfect home for Calvados, the region's famed apple brandy. Its ancient roots have led it to become a local specialty, enjoyed before, during, and after decadent meals in Normandy. 

The French enjoy Calvados just as they do everything else — at their leisure. When it comes to drinking the apple brandy, it can be enjoyed alongside a coffee, throughout a meal, or as a digestif. Most importantly, as tempting as it is, this French brandy is not to be guzzled. The sweet, golden sip has complex layers of fruit, oak, and aromatics that can easily be lost without the right approach. The strict rules surrounding Calvados stop at production, but it's traditionally served in a tulip-shaped glass that's been slightly warmed by the palm. Most of what we taste is based on smell alone, and this vessel's narrower rim helps concentrate the powerful aroma in the glass before hitting your lips.

The delicate brandy is traditionally made from apples, but not just any apples, strictly those from Normandy's orchards. The land's rich soil supports over 200 varieties, giving producers the choice between sweet, bittersweet, bitter, and bittersharp apples — all delivering a uniquely different taste. The apples, or occasionally pears, are pressed and fermented into a cider, distilled, and then aged in French oak barrels. Most experts will say the longer the better, but legally speaking, Calvados must age for at least 2 years.

Exclusive to Normandy with the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée to prove it, Calvados is how France shows appreciation for its plethora of apples. It's so embedded in French culture that it's practically as common as olive oil. While every kitchen in France is stocked with the apple brandy, the U.S. is just catching on to the hype. Back in 2021, Calvados exports to America shot up 70%, and judging by the creative influence it has had on cocktails like the Appletini and the Jack Rose, the trend is on track to continue.