The Ultimate Guide to Calvados Cocktails

France’s spectacularly lovely Normandy comes to life as it slips into autumn, its rolling hills swathed in 8,000 hectares of apple orchards that turn to gold as the fruits ripen for harvesting. Between September and December every year, they are gathered, pulped and transformed into refreshing ciders or the cider brandy Calvados. Today, some 300 producers in the region have an annual output of around 6 million bottles of Calva, of which most finds its way into French drinks cabinets. Here’s everything you need to know about this historic brandy, and its versatility as a delicious stand-alone drink or vital ingredient in the oh-so-fashionable world of creative cocktail blending.

Fundamentally, Calvados is a brandy distilled from apple cider. There is evidence of it being produced in Normandy as far back as 1553, and like champagne and cognac – two other iconic drinks popular in France – it has its own Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), with very strict rules defining where and how it is produced. Only apple brandy made in the designated region and aged for at least two years in French oak barrels qualifies as Calvados.

The short answer to that is any time and any place! Sip Calvados neat instead of wine throughout your meal and it will bring out the flavour of your food. It certainly goes well with delicacies like smoked salmon or caviar, and it’s a sublimely smooth companion to chocolate-based desserts or seasonal fruit tarte tartins. Of course, many people prefer it as a digestive to round off an excellent dinner, perhaps accompanied by a shot of top-quality coffee.

As it sees a resurgence in its fortunes, with new brands being launched and talented mixologists introducing the spirit into innovative drinks, Calvados has found its way onto cocktail menus at fine-dining restaurants throughout France. While an aged Calvados is superb on its own when served “glacé” (icy cold), young Calva is an especially successful pairing as it is lighter and retains strong apple flavours; this wonderfully aromatic spirit provides an adaptable base for a range of cocktails. 

We’re not all expert bartenders with the equipment needed to make intricate cocktails, so here are a couple of easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes to kickstart your mixology adventure! 

What could be easier than combining three spirits into a rather potent but very refreshing summer cocktail? 

Ingredients (makes 1 glass)

• 45 ml gin

• 30 ml Calvados

• 20 ml Cointreau

• 6 cubes of ice

• I large piece of ice for the glass 
  

Method

• Put the ice in the shaker/jug.
• Mix the gin, Calvados and Cointreau and pour over the ice.
• Shake well.
• Place the larger ice cube in the glass.
• Pour the cocktail into the glass through a strainer.

Invented in a tiny Paris bistro, this cocktail was widely popular in the 1920s. A traditional Sidecar is usually made with cognac; here it’s replaced by Calvados.

Ingredients (makes 1 glass)

• Cinnamon and sugar for the glass rim
• Lemon wedge
• 30 ml Calvados
• 30 ml Cointreau
• 30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Ice cubes
• Orange twist

Method

• Combine equal amounts of cinnamon and sugar on a small saucer.
• Rub the rim of a glass with the lemon and dip the glass into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Coat evenly.
• Put the glass in the freezer to harden the rim.
• Add the ice, spirits and lemon juice into a shaker/jug and shake until chilled.
• Pour through a strainer into the glass.
• Garnish with the orange twist.

The cider apples that go into making Calvados are harvested in autumn, so it’s appropriate that they make a warming base for craft cocktails best drunk pepped up with spices on cold winter days. 

Comforting and slightly spicy, this also makes a zingy summer cocktail if cooled and served with plenty of crushed ice.

Ingredients (makes 6 glasses)

• 1.9 litres quality apple cider 
• 470 ml Calvados 

Mulling spices 

• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1.5 teaspoons cloves 
• 2 cinnamon sticks, snapped in half
• A star anise
• A chunk of apple

Method

• Simmer the cider over a medium heat.
• Add the mulling spices (tied up in cheesecloth or popped in a tea ball).
• Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Remove the spices.
• Stir in the Calvados and serve with cinnamon, star anise and apple as garnish.

A tasty celebration of autumn’s chill in the air, this cocktail with a kick in its tail is best saved for when you’re relaxing by an open fire – it's guaranteed to cheer even the darkest of winter nights!

Ingredients (makes 1 glass)

• 30 ml bourbon
• 30 ml Calvados
• 2 tablespoons of quality apple juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 drops Angostura bitters
• Thin slice of apple for garnish

Syrup

• 1 tablespoon thyme simple syrup

Method

• Place equal parts of water and sugar in a saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from the heat and add a bundle of thyme. Steep for 20 minutes, strain and store in the refrigerator.
• Add ice to a shaker. Add all of the ingredients, including the syrup, and shake until combined.
• Pour into a chilled glass
• Add the apple for garnish.

This deliciously tempting cocktail is a good alternative to mulled wine at the festive table. If you’re entertaining at home, it can be left on the cooker in a big pan until it’s needed.

Ingredients (makes 12 glasses) 

• 680 ml Calvados 
• 7 tablespoons golden-brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2.85 litres apple cider 
• 180 ml fresh lemon juice
• 12 cinnamon sticks
• A whole nutmeg

Method

• Simmer the Calvados, sugar and butter in a large pot over a medium heat. 
• Stir until the sugar dissolves and butter melts.
• Add the apple cider, lemon juice and cinnamon; bring to the boil. 
• Ladle into 12 cups and add a cinnamon stick to each one. Grate nutmeg over each cocktail and serve.

This embodiment of the taste of Normandy adds a note of originality to any cocktail list. Created by Christophe, the head bartender at Grand Hôtel Cabourg–MGallery, it is his signature pre-dinner drink.

Ingredients (makes 1 glass)

• 40 ml Calvados
• 60 ml pear juice
• 1 teaspoon apple jelly, preferably from Normandy
• 1 drizzle of caramel syrup (you can buy this from most supermarkets)
• Apple cider
• Pitted Morello cherry and mint leaves to garnish

Method

• In a cocktail shaker, combine the Calvados, pear juice, apple jelly and caramel syrup.
• Shake well and pour into a champagne flute.
• Top off the glass with apple cider, garnish with the Morello cherry and mint.

Enjoy making Calvados cocktails, and remember to always keep your alcohol intake to a responsible level. If you're feeling inspired, why not visit one of our bars to experience expertly crafted Calvados cocktails wherever you are?