The spirit of Normandy is to be celebrated in October with a week of events in bars and restaurants across the UK to promote calvados and ideas for drinking it.
Participating venues so far include the Rivoli Bar at The Ritz, Skylon Bar & Restaurant and Royal Exchange Bar & Restaurant in London, Bia Bistro in Edinburgh and Booly Mardy’s in Glasgow.
National Calvados Week, which runs from October 14 to 20, will also involve retailers such as national chains Waitrose and Wine Rack through to specialists such as Gerry’s Wines & Spirits in Leeds and London.
The events are spearheaded and co-ordinated by premium drinks company Emporia Brands and sponsored by Calvados Père Magloire which it distributes in the UK.
Calvados is made from cider apples grown in Normandy which are first turned into cider and then distilled once or twice in traditional pot or column stills. The spirit is aged in oak barrels and then blended to create a smooth, complex brandy for sipping or mixing in long drinks and cocktails.
Simple serves include mixing with tonic or soda on the rocks or a Calvados Applejack, made by pouring 50ml of calvados over ice, topping it up with cloudy apple juice and garnishing with an apple slice.
Events during National Calvados Week include a tutored calvados tasting on October 15 at Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen in east London and calvados dinners – highlighting the versatility of the brandy in cooking – at Bia Bistro, The Bonham and La Garrigue in Edinburgh. Iris in Thistle Street in Edinburgh’s New Town will be serving calvados dishes throughout the week.
At The Ritz’s Rivoli Bar, bar manager Luis Simões and his team will be offering unique calvados cocktails such as the Cloak & Dagger (pictured top) and the Sparkle & Shine.
Cloak & Dagger
50ml Calvados Père Magloire XO
20ml Chestnut liqueur
10ml China Martini liqueur
10ml Homemade spicy syrup
2 drops of chocolate syrup
Sparkle & Shine
15ml Calvados Père Magloire 12 Year Old
15ml Champagne
Splash of cider
2 drops of vanilla extract
At Booly Mardy’s in Vinicombe Street, Glasgow, David Smillie and colleagues will have a special selection of calvados cocktails including MS Dos.
MS Dos by David Smillie
40ml Calvados Père Magloire 12 Year Old
20ml Cocchi Torino
10ml Cinzano Bianco
3 drops of orange liqueur
3 drops of Peychaud’s Bitters
Special cocktails will also be on the menu at Royal Exchange Bar & Restaurant and Skylon Bar & Restaurant.
For details of events, visit www.NationalCalvadosWeek.com or www.facebook.com/nationalcalvadosweek.com.
