Calvados

Calvados (French pronunciation: ​[kal.va.dos]) is an apple brandy from the French region of Lower Normandy (Basse-Normandie).

History

In France

Cider is a pan-European beverage that appears outside of the endemic region suitable for the cultivation of grapes. The production of cider is noted by Roman occupiers, and the tradition maintained in the band of western Celtic territories. Records indicate that Charlemagne was instrumental in fostering a culture of orchards and production during his reign - although its status as a key economic driver was not established until the Norman period. By the fifteenth century, cider consumption paralleled that of wine, and the introduction of new apple varietals and processes from Spain further entrenched cider production in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. In the 17th century, the traditional cider farms expanded, but taxation and prohibition of cider brandies were enforced elsewhere than Brittany, Maine, and Normandy. The area known as "Calvados" was created after the French Revolution, but eau de vie de cidre was already called calvados in common usage. In the 19th century, output increased with industrial distillation and the working class fashion for café-calva. When a phylloxera outbreak in the last quarter of the 19th century devastated the vineyards of France and Europe, calvados experienced a "golden age". During World War I, cider brandy was requisitioned for use in armaments due to its alcohol content. The appellation contrôlée regulations officially gave calvados a protected name in 1942. After the war, many cider houses and distilleries were reconstructed, mainly in the Pays d'Auge. Many of the traditional farmhouse structures were replaced by modern agriculture with high output. The Calvados appellation system was revised in 1984 and 1996. Pommeau got its recognition in 1991; in 1997, an appellation for Domfront with 30% pears was created.