The Calvados Experience

The Calvados Experience You can find out all about Calvados at the Calvados Experience, part museum, part show. This brand new experience opened in 2018 at Pont-L’Eveque on the site of France’s oldest and most famous distillery. It’s a celebration of and homage to Calvados and I really don’t want to spoil it by giving too much away but this is a fully immersive “experience” with some awesome special effects. One minute you’ll find yourself in a centuries old Norman town on a misty morning listening to bird song, peeking at a farmer and his rosy cheeked wife picking apples. The next minute you’ll find yourself watching an apple mountain tumble and fill the air with the scent of crushed apples. It’s very artistic and very well done, educational as well as fun, telling the history of Calvados – and it’s quite a story. The Calvados Experience is great for the whole family and there’s a tasting included in the visit (though not for kids) and a very smart shop selling Calvados and cider products plus a picnic area and a café on site. calvados-experience.com/en - you can take the tour in eight languages. Calvados Cocktail Competition Normandy folk love Calvados so much that each year they hold an International Calvados cocktail competition with a different theme, for instance in 2018 competitors had to include a vegetable element. It’s an event that’s taken seriously with entrants from around the world flying in to participate. They are the winners of best bartender competitions from countries like Russia, UK, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy and Poland as well as of course France. Student bar tenders also take part. And, if you thought Calvados was just for drinking neat with ice, you couldn’t be more wrong, it makes an excellent base for cocktails.

Far left: Calvados Experience; mid: Calvados Experience shop; left: Calvados pairing; above: Some of the Calcvados cocktail contest winners The competition has been emceed for several years by possibly the world’s most famous bartender, the legendary Colin Field of the Ritz, Paris. “Hotel bars are where it’s at these days” he says. He’s seen Calvados make a splash and move into the sexy world of cocktails and says he's been working with it since 1982 - always ahead of his time. In days of old Calvados was a popular tipple with coffee in the morning - and at night. In fact, it's still drunk this way in some places. But these days it's far more popular mixed with all sorts of things to create the most delicious cocktails. In Normandy they take their mixes seriously. The International Calvados Cocktail Competition is fun but surprisingly sober, winning is a serious business. “A good bartender can make the reputation of a bar“ says Colin, “they’re a representative who can convert a bar’s attitude with their deft mix, gift of the gab and their image”. Next time you’re in a bar – ask for a Calvados cocktail and prepare to be surprised… Look out for next year's contest in Calvados, entry is free to the public: www. calvadosnouvellevogue.fr/ Pere Magloire Summer Punch 4 cl of Calvados Père Magloire 2 cl of Pommeau Père Magloire 4 cl of orange juice 2 cl of mango juice 1 cl of strawberry syrup Serve with ice and a slice! www.calvados-peremagloire.com