How Calvados is prepared. Calvados: stages and necessary equipment. When does the distillate become Calvados?

A strong alcoholic drink, Calvados, made from fruit raw materials - apples or pears. This a type of French brandy, which is obtained by distillation (a drink with a strength of up to 6 degrees).

Homeland and the only original producer of Calvados - Normandy. This is an area located in northwestern France. A recipe for Calvados made from apples at home exists, but it is somewhat complicated.

Calvados belongs to the elite species. Previously (at the beginning of the last century) it enjoyed great popularity, which mainly extended to Normandy, where it was the local national drink. French legislation regulated its production by only a few departments, one of which it is named after.

Interesting! The preparation of Calvados should include only those fruits that are grown in the same area: apples and pears.

Based on these rules, the drink is apple or apple-pear brandy with a strength of at least 40 degrees, but reaching up to 60. The legislation also provides for the presence of three possible types of Calvados:

1. AOC calvados.
2. Calvados Domfrontais.
3. Calvados Pays d'Auge, which is especially appreciated by amateurs.

All types are tied to the production areas and have specific technological characteristics.

How is it produced?

Making Calvados is a complex, time-consuming technology consisting of the following steps:

1. Selection of fruits from local harvests belonging to special varieties. These are small apples with flavor, separated according to taste. for 4 groups:

• bitter - 10%;
• sour - 20%;
• bitter-sour-sweet;
• sweet.

The last two groups make up 70% of the raw materials. Sometimes pears are added, and the ratio changes. So in Calvados Domfrontais, according to the standard, these fruits can make up half.

2. Cider is made from this mixture within 5 or 6 weeks. But in some unique recipes it ferments for 6 months, giving a strength of up to 7 degrees.

4. The distillate (in French - eau-de-vie) is aged in a chamber that is burnt on the inside, with thick walls and porous wood.

5. The product is transferred to “old” barrels, where alcohol-containing liquid of different ages (at least 2 years) is mixed in the required ratio.

How to do it at home?

Homemade Calvados is prepared from moonshine in the following steps:

1. We get low alcohol cider ( light house wine) by fermenting apple juice.
2. Produce from cider (distillate).
3. Withstand it in an oak barrel.
4. Filter.

Only apples of the highest quality are used among the ingredients. According to different recipes, they add to cider honey, spices (vanilla), sometimes they ferment it together with cake. Simple and complex technologies are improved and supplemented by inclusion in the fermentation process yeast or raisins(50 g each).

Calvados, made at home from apples, is informally called " apple cognac". During the production process they use single and double distillation recipes. Drinks prepared at home may also vary in this respect. The first technology is carried out continuously in a vertical distiller.

The second option is more accessible: in a moonshine still. In this case, the alcohol-containing liquid is divided into fractions. The first portions are thrown away, as they contain harmful substances.

When preparing Calvados with your own hands, it is better to use barrels for aging. Before use, new containers are steamed, soaked and washed with 20% alcohol.

Note! After the first two years of storage, Apple Calvados acquires an almost endless shelf life.

Classic recipe

How to make Calvados at home so that the drink retains the aroma of apples and resembles the real thing? First of all need to mix apple varieties, taking 4 parts of sweet and bitter fruits, adding 2 parts of sour fruits. We prepare in the following steps:

• Squeeze the juice without pulp, keep it for a day at normal (up to 25 degrees C) temperature conditions.
• Remove the foam, pour the liquid into the fermentation chamber. Put on a throat or medical glove with a hole in the finger made by a needle.
• Move the bottle to a dark fermentation room and keep it there at room temperature until cider is produced.
• When the contents become lighter, a sediment appears, and the bubbles stop appearing (or the glove deflates), the process can be considered complete. You need to drain and filter the drink from sediment.
• Obtain distillate from cider using. Measure the strength with an alcohol meter.
• batch with water to a strength of 20 degrees, distill again. Select the 40-degree liquid, draining its first 12 percent as an unusable, harmful part (technical alcohol).
• Get moonshine at 70 or 80 degrees, place it in an oak barrel or in a glass container with the addition of oak stakes (read:).
• Dilute the liquid to 40 degrees with water, pour into jars, seal tightly, wait for ripening in the dark and cool for 6 months or a year.
• Filter, bottle and seal.

How to cook quickly?

How to prepare Calvados more simply and quickly? It is possible to prepare a similar drink for vodka. Essentially this is an apple tincture up to 35 degrees with strong alcohol. A simplified method for preparing Calvados at home is not very complicated. It is recommended to include only high-quality apple and vodka in the manufacturing process. Compound:

• 2 kg apples;
• 1 liter ;
• 200 g sugar;
• 10 g sugar with vanilla;
• 150 ml water.

The preparation steps are as follows:

1. Cut clean apples into cubes without core, put them in a glass jar with vanilla sugar and mix.
2. Fill with vodka, seal tightly with a lid and keep for 2 weeks in the dark at room temperature.
3. Strain the contents and squeeze through cheesecloth. Boil the syrup for 5 minutes without foam, pour it into the tincture when cooled.
4. Mix, bottle and store in a cool place for up to 3 years.

How to drink Calvados?

The rules for drinking Calvados are depending on variety and aging. For children under 4 years of age, it is consumed as an aperitif and addition to the meal.

More aged varieties are drunk to improve digestion after meals ( digestif), using special glasses with a thick bottom, filling them 1/3. First, they inhale the fruity aroma and savor the taste, and then taste it.

The strength of the drink can reach up to 50 degrees; some people add Calvados to the cocktail, combining it with tonic and other ingredients. Traditionally used as a snack cheese, bread, pastries, desserts and fruits. And the taste is quite suitable for meat dishes.

Probably, each of you has heard about the name of this drink, but not everyone knows about its origin. Calvados is produced in Normandy and is a strong alcohol made from apples. The essence of production is the process of distilling apple cider. You will learn how to make Calvados at home from our article.

The process of making this alcohol was kept for many years, until the French managed to reveal this secret.

Despite the fact that the French do not elevate Calvados to the same level of popularity as grape wines, it still managed to win the love and respect of many. In fact, this drink can rightfully be called high-proof cider, since its strength reaches 45 degrees. Gilles de Gouberville became the first in history to talk about how to make Calvados in 1553.

At first, people did not like this seemingly strange drink, but after some time it was appreciated. After the order was issued in 1941 to dispose of all alcohol, Calvados managed to remain on the tables of the French thanks to a special decree issued in 1942. Its essence was to protect the rights of this unusual drink. Thanks to this, it not only remained, but also managed to spread throughout the countries of the world. Today it is produced in huge quantities in factories, and real connoisseurs make Calvados at home.

Calvados

What ingredients are included in the drink?

The main ingredient, of course, is apples, although there are recipes for making it from pears. Moreover, not ordinary apples from the market are suitable - they must be of high quality, since this will affect the taste of the finished product. In the homeland of Calvados, there are special fruit plantations where special varieties of apples are grown for the production of everyone’s favorite alcohol.

Depending on the taste of the fruit, Calvados is divided into different types:

• bitter;
• sweet;
• sweet and sour;
• sour.

Everything is done in such a way that every lover can find his own special taste. It is worth noting that to answer the question of how to make Calvados, you should get acquainted with all 48 types of grown apples from which this alcoholic drink is made.

There are also recipes for making a variety of pear brandy, but this is something of an analogue, since the original Calvados is made exclusively on an apple base.

Important! Sometimes some spices can be added to the drink, but this should be done in moderation (so as not to spoil the taste of Calvados).

Calvados at home (imitation)

Preparing this alcohol will not take you much time, because it is considered something like a regular liqueur, and not a great brandy. However, the presence of natural ingredients automatically makes it a leader, equating it to the same vodka. The storage period is no more than 3 years.

Ingredients

To prepare you will need:

• apples – 2 kg;
• vanilla sugar – 10 g;
• vodka – 1 l;
• sugar – 200 g (it is advisable to use granulated sugar);
• water – 150 g.

Prepare the necessary ingredients and you can start cooking.

Preparation

1. Wash all the apples and peel them.

2. After removing the core, cut the apples into small cubes.

3. Place the chopped apples on the bottom of the jar, periodically sprinkling them with vanilla sugar.

4. Fill the entire contents of the jar with vodka and leave in a dark place for a period of 10-14 days. Every day you need to shake the jar (or other container) with apples.

5. After the infusion period has expired, the apple pieces must be removed from the jar.

6. Strain the remaining liquid through several layers of gauze.

7. Prepare sugar syrup. Mix water with sugar and boil the liquid. Let it boil for 3 minutes, and you should stir it all this time. After the syrup has cooled, mix it with the tincture.

8. The resulting alcoholic drink must cool completely, after which it can be bottled. Do not forget that these bottles must be made of glass, and after pouring they must be sealed.

Let the drink brew for several days, after which you can enjoy its wonderful taste.

Making real Calvados

If you don’t like our “imitation” of Calvados, then you can prepare a natural version, the aroma and taste of which will be in no way inferior to the original. Its technology is as close as possible to the technology for preparing industrial apple brandy. Therefore, the only ingredient required for cooking is apples.

Choose fruits that are ripe and aromatic, without any signs of rot. Good apples will make a great drink. Don’t forget that professionals grow apples specifically for making the drink, and then carefully select them.

Apples must be ripe and aromatic, without any signs of rot.

The cooking technology is divided into 4 stages:

• making cider;
• distillation;
• excerpt;
• filtration.

Making apple cider

First you need to make apple juice. To do this, choose any method you like (press, juicer, etc.).

The final product should be without pulp or at least with a small amount of it.

Place the resulting juice in a room at room temperature. After 24 hours, you can continue the cooking process. 24 hours of infusion should be enough for foam to form on the surface of the juice. Carefully remove the foam, ensuring it does not mix with the main liquid. Use a straw to pour into a container for further preparation. A large jar with a perforated rubber glove placed over the neck can be used as a container. Here our juice should begin to ferment.

Hide the vessel in a warm and dark place with a temperature of 20-25 degrees. The fermentation period will take 60-90 days, and during this time you can forget about the tincture. A rubber glove will indicate the completion of the fermentation process: if it has been deflated for several days, then you can continue preparing Calvados. The resulting cider must be poured into a distillation cube, and this must be done extremely carefully.

Distillation of finished cider

Gradually we are faced with the process of distillation. For this you will need a moonshine still. The distillate should be selected during the first distillation, and the percentage of alcohol should range from 35 to 40. Distillation should continue until the temperature reaches 85 degrees. This stage can be very difficult to track.

A moonshine still is used to distill finished apple cider.

As a result, you should get 80-proof apple alcohol. This will serve as the base for the apple brandy.

A simple version of a moonshine still made from laboratory glass

Apple tincture extract

Oak barrels will become an integral attribute of the process of preparing homemade Calvados. Namely, the aging procedures. If you can't find oak barrels, then oak wood may be suitable, from which you need to make pegs for bottles. Dilute the resulting apple alcohol with water until it reaches 45 degrees, and then pour the liquid into bottles.

Important! The use of oak bark or shavings is considered unacceptable, because this can make the drink bitter.

Close the bottles tightly with oak pegs and hide them in a cool, dark place. The aging period lasts from 6 to 12 months. The recipe does not require exposure for a shorter amount of time.

Final filtering

After aging, the cooking process comes to the final stage - filtration. For this you will need regular gauze. Just fold it several times and strain the drink several times. Calvados is ready, now you can enjoy its soft apple taste.

At the end, the drink is filtered through ordinary gauze.

The drink goes well with cheese, chocolate and various pastries. Can be consumed without a snack - this is not for everyone.

Video - Calvados at home

Pear Calvados - recipe

As you may have already guessed, you can make Calvados not only from apples. There is a good recipe that allows you to make a wonderful drink from apples and pears. This will make the prepared alcohol original, giving it a special aroma and taste.

Important! The base consists of moonshine, although you can replace it with regular vodka. The main thing is maintaining proportions.

Ingredients

To make pear brandy you will need:

• 1.5 kg apples;
• 350 pears;
• vodka – 1 l;
• 1 glass of water;
• 0.5 cups vanillin;
• 0.5 cups sugar.

Preparation

1. Wash the fruit thoroughly, core it and cut it into cubes.

2. Place the chopped fruit on the bottom of a 3-liter jar (the bottom layer should consist of apples, the top layer should consist of pears).

3. Pour vanillin into a jar.

4. Fill the contents of the jar with vodka (moonshine).

5. Cover the jar with a thick layer of gauze and hide it in a dark, secluded place.

6. The drink will ferment for 10-14 days. Shake the jar daily to mix all the ingredients.

7. After fermentation, strain the liquid through cheesecloth.

8. Pour the drink into a large saucepan and simmer over low heat.

9. Prepare syrup from water and sugar (this was mentioned earlier).

10. Pour the finished syrup into a saucepan. Keep the drink on low heat for another 30 minutes.

11. The finished Calvados should be cooled and divided into bottles.

The advantage of this recipe is that the exquisite taste and aroma is achieved regardless of whether you choose vodka or moonshine. You can drink the drink immediately after cooling it (recommended temperature - 15 degrees). The prepared version of Calvados is perfect for consumption in its pure form or as an ingredient for cocktails.

Calvados is produced in Normandy, a French province. This is a strong alcoholic drink whose main ingredient is apples. The basis of the preparation process is the distillation of apple cider. After this, the cider is aged in oak barrels. You can make a drink similar to natural Calvados at home from apples. However, when we talk about making Calvados at home, we mean brandy, because real Calvados is only made in France.

Making homemade brandy is a long process. It is important to understand all the subtleties and features of the technology in order to obtain an alcoholic drink that is as close in taste as possible to real apple Calvados.

The quality of the finished Calvados will depend on the quality of the fruit and other ingredients. After all, Calvados is a “picky” drink, and if you add, for example, not fresh, but rotten apples, this will negatively affect the taste of the finished alcohol.

The apples from which the original Calvados is made do not grow in Russia. But this is not a problem - just choose the right combination of different varieties of apples. Manufacturers use the following proportions of apples:

• sweet and sour - 70%;
• bitter - 20%;
• sweet - ~5%;
• sour - ~5%.

Late varieties that are harvested in September are best suited. At the same time, you need to pick apples only in dry weather, when there has been no rain for several days.

At the cider distillation stage, the liquid must not be heated above 85°C. And the first and last liquid that appears during distillation must be removed and under no circumstances consumed, because it may contain many toxic substances.

Since Calvados is prepared from different varieties of apples, it may taste different. Types of drink: sweet and sour, bitter, sour, sweet. Thanks to such a variety of tastes, every lover can find the variety of Calvados they like best.

A simple recipe for apple Calvados, discussed below, is as close as possible to the original. Here we need only high-quality fruits. The fruits must be ripe and not diseased, because in the end we need to get a good distillate from the fermented juice. The variety of apples themselves is not so important here, but it is better to take sweet fruits.

The simplest recipe

Let's look at each preparation step in detail:

Video recipe

This video clearly shows the recipe for apple Calvados:

Classic recipe

This recipe is an imitation of real Calvados, and as a result we get an apple liqueur that can be stored for no more than 3 years. Preparing alcohol will not take much of your time, and there is little money involved either. The ingredients used are all natural, so this alcohol is the best option compared to, for example, regular vodka. This method is more suitable for those who like to experiment with preparing alcohol, as well as for novice winemakers.

To make Calvados from apples, you will need vodka (1 l), granulated sugar (200 g), apples (2 kg), vanilla sugar (10 g), water (150 ml).

Cooking process:

The smell of the resulting tincture will be similar to the original. It will taste like apple vodka with a sweet aftertaste and a strength of up to 35% vol.

This simple recipe will allow you to make an apple alcoholic drink in a short time, which can be consumed at family holidays or during get-togethers with friends.

Apple and pear version made from vodka or moonshine

Now let's look at how to make Calvados from pears. There is a good recipe that allows you to combine apples and pears to end up with an excellent alcoholic drink with a special taste and aroma.

Calvados is usually prepared from moonshine, but you can use regular vodka instead. The main thing is that the proportions are respected during the production of the drink.

You can prepare apple and pear brandy from the following ingredients:

• pears (350 g);
• apples (1.5 kg);
• water (1 glass);
• vodka (1 l);
• sugar (1/2 cup);
• vanillin (1/2 cup).

Cooking process:

1. First, wash the fruit, remove the core and cut the pulp into small pieces.
2. Place the chopped fruits on the bottom of the jar (we use a 3-liter jar). Fruits need to be laid in layers: the bottom layer is apples, the top layer is pears.
3. After this, pour vanillin into the jar.
4. Then fill the container with moonshine or vodka, cover the jar with gauze and place it in a secluded place where the sun's rays do not reach.
5. The liquid will ferment for about 2 weeks. During this time, the container should be shaken every day to mix the ingredients.
6. After the fermentation period, strain the liquid through cheesecloth, then pour the solution into a saucepan and place on low heat.
7. Prepare a syrup from sugar and water (see previous recipe), pour it into a saucepan and keep the liquid on low heat for another half hour.
8. Next, cool the prepared apple Calvados and bottle it.

The advantage of this preparation method is the following: regardless of whether you used moonshine or vodka, the drink will turn out aromatic and tasty.

Distillation and final preparation

IMPORTANT! The conditions for preserving aroma are rapid fermentation and distillation. When storing the wort, even in an airtight container, the apple smell evaporates. We begin distillation without waiting for the wine material to clarify.

There are different distillation options. Large enterprises in France use electronically controlled vacuum devices to avoid heating raw materials and the formation of methyl alcohol.

Various types of distillers are used for home distillation of wort. Therefore, it is possible to give only general recommendations. The best Calvados is obtained by cutting off the “heads” and “tails” and by distilling the wort and distilling raw alcohol. At the first stage, the alcohol content of the selected “body” is 25 – 30%, in the second – 50-65%. During the final distillation, a reflux condenser is used.

The use of double distillation allows us to obtain a high-quality cask distillate with a subtle, pure apple aroma on an alcoholic background. The heads and tails are then further distilled in a recolumn to obtain rectified alcohol, which can also be used in the future to prepare tinctures.

Blending

The resulting distillate must be allowed to rest in a glass container before aging in an oak barrel.

At home, it’s good to combine relaxation with blending. This process can be omitted, but winemakers are well aware that it is almost impossible to obtain complete, high-quality alcoholic beverages without blending. Therefore, before bottling, sugar syrup, coloring and citric acid are added to the drinks.

So, to improve the taste of the future drink, you can:

• Add Antonovka slices, dried to the state of chips, to the distillate. Properly cooked apples in an electric dryer will add the necessary sugars, sourness and enhance the aroma to the future Calvados. The application rate is 10 grams per liter of liquid. Leave for 2 days in a glass container, then strain;
• To sweeten the drink, dilute fructose in a small amount at the rate of 15 grams per liter and add it to the container;
• To give a more saturated color and caramel note, we make a natural dye: add a little water to sugar (5 grams per liter of distillate) and heat over low heat with continuous stirring until it turns into a beautiful, dark brown viscous mass. Remove it from the heat, cool, add water at the rate of half the weight of the caramel mass and heat again until the sugar dissolves.

We add color to the drink and let it rest in the glass for another 2-3 days, after which we set it to age.

Excerpt

Calvados is aged in oak barrels for one to four years. French standards are more categorical - at least two years.

Oak wood gives the drink an amber color, balance and fullness of aroma.

At home, you don’t always have an oak barrel on hand, so you can get by with either medium-roasted oak chips or oak chips in the amount of 2 grams per liter.

The technology for producing Calvados, whether it is made at home or on an industrial scale, consists of steps that are discussed in detail in this article: selection of suitable raw materials, fermentation of apple juice, distillation, aging and blending.

Important! Interest in the drink is constantly growing, numerous “simple” recipes for making it appear, but most often the output is liqueurs, liqueurs or difficult-to-define products.

Prepare something delicious too!

How to drink and what to eat

A lot depends on the type of apple brandy and the aging period of the drink. The Normans, who are the creators of Calvados, give the following recommendations:

1. Brandy, which is aged for no more than 4 years, has a good effect on the human digestive system, so 1 serving of alcohol should be 50-100 g.
2. Brandy is good to drink at the table during breaks between food changes.
3. Calvados that has aged well should be served (even though it is made at home). The glass should be thick-bottomed and tulip-shaped. After brandy has been poured into it, the liquid needs to be slightly warmed in your hands to enjoy the unsurpassed aroma, and only then proceed to tasting Calvados.
4. Types of drink whose strength exceeds 50% vol., Can be paired with a good cigar.
5. Calvados can be mixed with other drinks to get a cocktail. Apple brandy goes well with tonic.
6. Meat dishes can be used as snacks, which are made with fruit sauce. Wheat bread, cheese, sweet pastries, chocolate, fruit, and ice cream are also good.

Calvados made at home will be different from the original alcohol produced in France. But only true connoisseurs of apple brandy can feel this difference. And most of our compatriots will find such brandy, prepared at home, as tasty and enjoyable as the original drink. So your guests or friends will be able to appreciate your work.

Traditions of use

This drink has firmly established itself as an excellent means of improving digestion. That is why Calvados is drunk after dinner, and the French say that it is very appropriate between the first and second courses. Moreover, young Calvados is often used as part of cocktails, and more aged Calvados is used as an independent digestif.

Calvados has every chance of becoming the favorite drink of a person who prefers strong alcoholic drinks with a special aroma.

Using wine yeast

To obtain Calvados with a unique bouquet you need to prepare:

• 40% sweet apples - they will give the drink alcohol and sugar;
• 40% bitter and bittersweet – source of tannins;
• 20% sour – for acidity and freshness.
• Some fans add pear juice, no more than 10 - 15%.

When sorting fruits for apple wines, the most important thing is to remove all rotten and damaged fruits. Rot and mold will have a detrimental effect on wine. Wormholes can simply be cut out; they are not dangerous for wine must.

Making mash

Winemakers distinguish two schemes for preparing wine must (mash) - white and red. White diagram - juice fermentation occurs without pulp. It is considered more preferable. When red, the juice is fermented with cake.

1. Squeeze the juice from washed apples, cut into slices along with the skin and seeds.

IMPORTANT! The squeezed juice should immediately begin the fermentation process. The wonderful fruity smell of fresh juice quickly decreases due to contact with air of the chemical compounds responsible for the aroma.

2. Add wine yeast to the juice.

There is an opinion that the best Calvados is made with “wild” yeast, i.e. It is enough that it gets into the juice from the apple peel. Proponents of this method say that in Normandy they do not add yeast to ferment the juice. But, if we remember that the tradition of preparing this drink is far from new, it is clear that the wooden barrels in which the juice ferments and the oars with which it is mixed are densely populated with yeast colonies.

In our practice, relying only on wild yeast leads to unpredictable fermentation temperatures and drink quality.

IMPORTANT! We use only wine yeast intended for sour fruit raw materials.

3. We close the fermenter tank with a water seal and place it in a room with an air temperature no higher than 20 degrees;

After three days we check the sugar content. If the readings are below 20%, add dextrose and mix well.

IMPORTANT! You cannot add beet sugar; it has a bad effect on the taste of the drink, unlike dextrose, which is one of the sugars in apples.

4. Close with a water seal and leave until complete fermentation.

After about two weeks, the bitter mash with a slight sourness and pleasant aroma is ready.

Industrial production

Enterprises producing Calvados in France are called distilleries. The largest is Boulard. This family business is 170 years old. It was this company that brought the drink to the international market and produces about three million bottles a year.

But almost every Norman village produces this famous brandy from apples, and everywhere they will tell visiting tourists that their Calvados is the most correct. Strictly following traditions, some producers grow up to forty varieties of apples in their gardens! The trees are planted mixed together so that already at the harvesting stage a mixture is obtained with the required ratio of sour, bitter and sweet fruits. Preference is given to varieties with smaller apples, the aroma of which is considered the strongest.

For distillation, the method of double distillation in Sharan-type stills is used, as well as direct continuous distillation.

The alcohol obtained after distillation is tasted and the master makes a decision about which barrel to pour it into and how many years it will take to age. The fact is that barrels are made from oak boards of various polishes, which determine their porosity and ability to saturate the drink with tannins.

Strong alcohol is produced using similar technology in almost all countries where suitable apples grow. Bulgarians call it rakia, in Poland it is known as apple wine, and Americans and British call it Apple Jack. Connoisseurs recall that in the USSR they encountered a very worthy Calvados “Golden Autumn”, which could only be tasted in tasting rooms.

Calvados (apple cognac) is a drink that came to us from Normandy, which is also called apple brandy. For a long time, Calvados was considered the drink of the poor, because it is made from ordinary apples. But after the great Remarque mentioned it in his works, this drink became very popular among high society. Of course, making real Calvados with your own hands is very problematic, since its peculiarity is that it must be aged in oak barrels.

But nevertheless, it can be made at home according to the classic recipe. You can also prepare this drink from apples (or rather, its imitation) yourself by infusing apples with strong alcohol at home. Both vodka and moonshine are suitable as an alcoholic base. An important role is also played by which apples you plan to make Calvados from. You can combine different varieties - bitter, sour, sweet and sour-sweet - the main thing is that the fruits are small and aromatic. Pears will also work if they are sweet and sour.

It is best to choose varieties harvested in September. Calvados is considered one of the most “fastidious” alcoholic drinks, regardless of what recipe is used in production. Fruits are mixed in a variety of proportions, but if it is not possible to make Calvados from several varieties of apples, then it is recommended to take only sweet and sour ones.

Recipe for real classic Calvados according to the white scheme

Fruit selection . For this drink, only fruits collected from trees are used; fruits that have fallen to the ground are no longer suitable for Calvados. Collected apples do not need to be washed with water in order to preserve wild yeast on the skin of the fruit, on which fermentation will occur.

Preparation:

Excerpt . In order to refine the resulting apple moonshine by turning it into Calvados, it must be poured into an oak barrel for infusion. If you don’t have a barrel, you can use pre-prepared oak chips. Wood chips measuring 7 by 7 mm, 8-10 cm long, place in a three-liter jar in the amount of 9-11 pieces and fill with apple moonshine. Close the jars with lids and leave for 4-8 months to mature, shaking occasionally.

Filtration. Aged homemade Calvados (apple cognac) must be filtered through a gauze filter and bottled. Let it sit for a week in glass so that the drink “arrives.” You can start tasting homemade Calvados.

In the video there is a recipe for Calvados prepared according to the red scheme with cake with added sugar and wine yeast. Using this technology, apple distillate is easier and faster to make; the distillate also comes out with the aroma of apples, but due to the addition (of sugar and yeast), such a drink cannot be called a classic.

A simplified recipe for making Calvados

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to prepare real classic Calvados at home, for the reason that few people have an oak barrel on their farm. In addition, it takes a lot of time to prepare a traditional drink, so winemakers came up with an alternative simplified recipe. To make homemade Calvados by infusion, you will need 2 kg of apples, 1 liter of vodka (can be replaced with moonshine), 200 grams of sugar, 1 bag of vanillin and 150 ml of purified water. Particular attention should be paid to the fruits: if at least one apple is rotten, then the drink can be considered irrevocably spoiled.

• Wash the fruit thoroughly and cut into small slices, do not forget to discard the core.
• Transfer to a three-liter glass jar and sprinkle vanilla on top.
• Next, pour vodka (or moonshine) into the container and leave to ferment in a dark place.
• Shake the jar thoroughly several times a day for two to three weeks.
• After this, make a syrup from water and sugar and add it to the future Calvados.
• Then strain the drink through cheesecloth, pour into bottles and close tightly, and leave for storage.

This recipe allows you to prepare a drink with your own hands, the taste of which is as close as possible to the original. Calvados is stored at a temperature of about +15 degrees (lower, but not higher), and can be served immediately after preparation. If desired, you can add some berries, nuts or your favorite spices along with the chopped apples - this will only add a piquant taste to the drink.

Recipe for apple and pear Calvados

Many summer residents are wondering how to prepare Calvados on their own, when many apples and pears of various varieties have accumulated in the bins. There is an excellent recipe that will give you a great drink. Its alcoholic base includes moonshine (which can easily be replaced with vodka), the main thing is to do everything correctly and keep the proportions correctly.

Of the ingredients you will need 700 grams of sweet and bitter apples and 350 grams of sour apples, 300-350 grams of sweet and sour pears, 1 liter of vodka (or replace it with moonshine), half a glass of vanilla and regular sugar, a glass of water.

1. Wash the fruits well, remove the seeds and cut into small cubes.
2. Place the apples first, then the pears, into a three-liter sterilized jar.
3. Add vanilla sugar, then pour moonshine into the jar.
4. Next you need to do this: cover the container with gauze and put it in a dark place to ferment.
5. Then the drink made from apples and pears should stand in a cool place for two to three weeks.
6. Shake the jar every day to mix the ingredients.
7. After the required period has passed, the future Calvados should be filtered through cheesecloth.
8. The next step is to pour the drink into a saucepan and place it on low heat.
9. Now you need to make sugar syrup: dissolve sugar in a glass of water.
10. Pour the finished syrup into a saucepan and simmer the drink over low heat for half an hour.
11. Next, the almost finished Calvados needs to be cooled and bottled.

The good thing about the recipe for this drink is that the taste and aroma of Calvados is excellent regardless of the alcohol base, be it vodka or moonshine. You can drink it immediately after preparation, but before doing so it is recommended to cool it to a temperature of no more than 15 degrees. This version of Calvados is also excellent if you plan to make cocktails; your friends will appreciate the taste of this drink.

There are no wine appellations in Normandy. The climate in the region is too cool and humid for growing grapes. But it is ideal for apples and pears, from which cider has been distilled here since the French Revolution into an aromatic distillate, Calvados. And in this material we tried to accumulate all the experience that helps Norman distillers prepare the best apple brandy in the world, as well as translate the knowledge gained into a simple and understandable recipe.

Calvados (French: calvados) is a French brandy made from apples (though it can also contain pears) made by distilling cider. This is a strictly regional product, and its name is a symbol meaning that this drink can only be produced in certain areas of northwestern France, in Lower Normandy. This also means that homemade apple brandy cannot be called Calvados. But who cares about that, right?

In any case, if you prepare distillates from apples at home, you need to do it the way it has been prepared in Normandy for generations. And for this we need to conduct a little investigation, which is what we will do first. A time-tested recipe for apple cider brandy is included.

The production of Normandy apple brandy has been regulated by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) since 1942. Like Cognac or Armagnac, the region producing authentic Calvados is divided into three smaller subregions (there were ten before 1984), each with its own AOC. These are the appellations:

1. AOC Calvados(about 74% of total Calvados production). Includes the departments of Calvados, Manche, Orne and parts of the departments of Eure, Mayenne, Sarthe and Eure and Loire.
   • terroir, a geographical area, is strictly limited;
   • the varieties of apples and pears are determined by the style of the cider;
   • alcohols must be aged in oak barrels for at least 2 years;
   • basic processes such as pressing, fermentation, distillation and aging are also regulated by the relevant government authority;
2. AOC Calvados Pays d'Auge(25% of Calvados production). It is limited to the eastern tip of the department of Calvados and several adjacent areas.
   • meets all AOC Calvados requirements with additional restrictions;
   • only double distillation in copper alambics - columns are prohibited;
   • the distillate must be made within the designated area in Pays d'Auge;
   • cider must be fermented for at least six weeks, and its production must meet all the requirements of the Pays d’Auge region (the cider here has its own Pays d’Auge AOC).
3. AOC Calvados Domfrontais(about 1% of Calvados production). A small production area around the town of Domfront in the Orne department, which only received AOC status in 1997.
   • a minimum of 30% alcohol must be made from perry, pear cider;
   • minimum 3 years of aging in oak barrels;
   • in the orchards where the cider crop comes from, there must be at least 15% pear trees (25% from the 16th harvest);
   • Both double distillation in copper alambics and single distillation in column-type apparatuses are allowed.

Apple brandy, which is produced in France, but outside the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Calvados (or in its territory, but without proper government control), is often called slang calva (French calva). This has been going on since the first half of the 20th century, when there were about 15,000 Calvados producers in Normandy, mostly unlicensed. These were mostly farmers who prepared apple moonshine for personal consumption. It was often simple and crude in a peasant style, and the main way of consuming it was “cafés calva,” hot coffee with Calvados.

Currently, in the Calvados region, with an area of ​​about 5400 km 2, just over 300 producers, mostly large ones, are registered. However, in Normandy the tradition of producing farm Calvados has been preserved. If you see “Produit Fermier” or “Production Fermière” on a bottle of apple brandy, it means all the fruit used in its production was grown on the same estate where the cider was made, and then distilled and aged there.

Well, let's play Norman farmers and prepare a calva worthy of their approval?

In the production of Normandy brandy, more than 200 different varieties of apples are used, which are traditionally divided into four types: bitter, bittersweet, sour and sweet. Pears are usually equated to sour apples, since only sour varieties are used (for example, Plant de Blanc). Distillates with them are softer and more delicate. At AOC Calvados Domfrontais, cider for Calvados must consist of at least 30% pears, although many producers use 70% or even more.

Calvados is never produced from one variety of apples - only a blend of them can guarantee stable quality from year to year and a rich, complex taste of the distillate.

The most valuable apples are bitter and bittersweet varieties, such as Antoinette, Frequin Rouge, Bisquet, Moulin à Vent or Mettais. They introduce tannins into the cider, which are necessary for long-term aging of the cider, as well as the bulk of flavoring and aromatic substances; Calvados acquires the necessary complexity and rich structure. Sweet varieties, such as Rouge Duret or Noël des Champs, are mainly needed to increase the alcohol yield, while sour varieties (Rambaud, Petit Jaune or René Martin) provide optimal acidity for cider fermentation.

Each manufacturer has its own proportions, as well as the varietal composition of the mash. Usually the emphasis is on bitter and bittersweet varieties, of which cider from AOC Pays d’Auge, for example, should contain at least 70%. A typical cider recipe for Calvados might include 30% sweet, 40% sour and 30% bitter apples, sometimes 40%/20%/40%. Here we will have to look for a compromise, since we do not have specially bred varieties of apples and pears for brandy.

One thing I can say for sure: sweet apples alone, such as Fuji, Gala, Jonagold, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, will not produce anything good. For a decent yield, it is better to increase the sweetness with sugar - you can safely press it to 15 o P according to a hydrometer or 15 o Bx according to a refractometer at the start of fermentation; the distillate will not go into fusel sugar. And if you use pure dextrose (glucose) or fructose, then manipulations with the product yield will generally go unnoticed. But this is a matter of philosophy - if the number of apples allows, it is better to leave the sugar for coffee.

But it’s impossible without fragrant apples. You should try to take at least half of the juice from available sour and most aromatic varieties (these are usually late autumn and winter apples), for example, from Idared, Antonovka, Granny Smith, Semerenko apples, etc. It will be even better if 20-30% of the usual game meat gets into the cider. At the same time, you can safely use wild pear as a bitter base - this is the norm in Normandy.

Making cider

The fruits are collected (manually or mechanically) from mid-October to December, allowed to sit in a cool place until fully ripe, crushed and pressed. Often, before pressing, the juice is allowed to brew on the pulp so that it extracts the maximum extract substances from the skin. After pressing, the juice is fermented:

• using only wild yeast(it is prohibited to introduce a pure yeast culture);
• using only fruit sugar(additional sugar is prohibited);
• at ambient temperatures(artificially controlling the temperature is prohibited, which is justified, because the process occurs at the end of autumn and the necessary slow fermentation correlates with low temperatures outside).

Fermentation lasts from 1 to 3 months, producing dry cider with a strength of at least 4.5%, usually from 5 to 7%. The slowest fermentation is very important here - this way it ferments much more fruity esters and other “flavors”. To do this, low temperatures are maintained during fermentation, up to a maximum of 18 o C, preferably 12-16 o C.

Traditionally, cider is aged for up to a year in old barrels before being distilled, in time for the new harvest. In this case, it is not removed from the sediment. Here, look at your capabilities, it is better, of course, to age the cider for at least 4-6 months, during which it should sufficiently lighten and gain complexity in taste.

But I advise you not to mess around with wild yeast (hereinafter referred to as DD) unless you are going to make cider near an apple orchard in an environmentally friendly environment. Norman farmers were lucky - in production, the air microflora was formed over centuries, there was a natural selection of yeast strains, DD wanders vigorously there and ferments compounds exclusively necessary for the taste and aroma of Calvados. They also have the varietal composition of apples and pears on their side, which provide ideal conditions for fermentation (the right acidity, the right level of tannins, etc.). In our latitudes, DD usually leads to either souring of the juice in the final stages of fermentation, or to an unclear taste in the end, since the yeast has to work to the limit.

There are now a lot of strains on the market (pure yeast culture, PYC) for cider (go to any store for brewers, winemakers or moonshiners) - the ideal option. At worst, you can use any wine yeast for white wines or champagne. The main thing is not bakery ones, which are only suitable for sugar mash, and even better for butter buns.

"Charente" distillation cube: 1 - container for heating cider, 2 - tube for supplying cider to the boiler, 3 - heating boiler, 4 - firebox, 5 - "helmet" accumulating distillate vapor, 6 - "swan neck", 7 - drain pipe for “heads” and “tails”, 8 – coil, 9 – pipe for draining the finished product and an alcohol meter.

After distilling the cider, raw spirit (hereinafter CC) is obtained, which in France is called “brouillis” or “petites eaux” (low wine). Its strength is usually 28-30%. Often, during the first distillation, the “tails” are immediately cut off, and some sources also mention the cutting off of the “heads”. It is not recommended to do this at home, otherwise a lot of aroma is lost (remember the variety of raw materials for cider available to Norman winemakers). You can only select a small amount of the head fraction, literally up to a stable stream of CC - it will contain a lot of harmful isoamyl alcohol.

The second distillation is necessarily fractional, with careful cutting off of the head and tail fractions. Further work is carried out only with the “heart” of the distillate (“bonne chauffe”), the strength of which, according to the standard, should not be higher than 72%.

In AOC Calvados and AOC Calvados Domfrontais, double distillation is rarely practiced. Cider is distilled only once, in column distillers. Traditionally, these are large plate columns, consisting of approximately 15 plates and selection units for each fraction. It is believed that single distillation gives Calvados a fresher and purer apple aroma, while double distillation gives it the complexity necessary for long-term aging in barrels.

After distillation of the cider comes the most important step in the production of Calvados: aging. Apart from the mandatory two-year aging (three years for AOC Calvados Domfrontais), there are no other strict rules, so methods differ radically from manufacturer to manufacturer. Aging takes place in new or old barrels with a volume of 200 to 600 liters or in oak vats with a volume of up to 10,000 liters. Spirits aged in barrels and vats can be mixed.

Often, “bonne chauffe” is poured into new barrels, from which the future Calvados takes on the tannins and balances its aroma. These spirits are then poured into old barrels, where they absorb aromas of vanilla, toffee, nut and chocolate, gain complexity and soften. In this respect, Calvados is very different from cognac and whiskey - it does not sit in one barrel for years, it is constantly poured and assembled (mixed with other aged alcohols). Many leading producers are experimenting by completing the aging of Calvados in barrels of whiskey, cognac, rum, sherry, port, etc.

After aging, the alcohols are usually blended and mixed to produce a homogeneous drink from year to year. Some distilleries, usually small farm distilleries, offer single cask vintage bottlings. After mixing, Calvados is diluted to 40-45% alcohol and bottled. Some brandies are bottled without dilution - over many years of aging, the “angels” take up to 25-30% of the alcohol and no longer need to be diluted.

Well, there is enough information for thought. Let everyone decide for themselves how to interpret it. For me personally, this all fits for some time now into the recipe and technology described below.

Recipe for apple brandy with Calvados

We will prepare cider according to the “white” scheme, using pure apple juice without fermenting the pulp, which contains a lot of pectin, in our case a precursor of methyl alcohol. The distillate will turn out cleaner, tastier and more aromatic. If for some reason you want to prepare apple moonshine according to the “red” scheme, we have it for such matters.

Making cider

1. After picking or purchasing apples, it is advisable to allow time to rest in a cool, well-ventilated area for 2 to 4 weeks. During this time they will ripen, become sweeter and more aromatic. It is important not to miss the moment and put them into processing in time, since when softened they release juice much worse. Late autumn and winter varieties are always in favor - they have more juice and aroma, and the pulp does not become loose after aging.
2. After aging, the apples must be thoroughly washed to remove any dirt, even if the fermentation is on DD (the savages are not completely washed off with water, they are in the air and fermentation will still take place - verified). Then you need to extract juice from the fruit, which is usually done in two ways:
   • Juicer. The juice comes out cloudy, which has a bad effect on fermentation and clarification of the cider. This can be corrected by settling: the juice must be left in a cool place for 2-3 days, after which it must be removed from the sediment, the sediment must be filtered and yeast can be added. The productivity of ordinary household juicers is small; you can immediately forget about serious volumes. There are, of course, more productive centrifugal-type devices that allow you to process up to 180 kg of fruit per hour, but their efficiency is only 50% - half of the juice remains in the fine pulp, which is very difficult to press, and the squeezed juice is cloudy and requires clarification.

• • Pressing. This method of obtaining juice is much better suited for our purposes, since it allows us to keep the juice on the pulp for some time (cold maceration) to enrich it with aromatic extract substances. As a result, the juice is more aromatic and pure, and the cider is tasty and clarified in a timely manner. The apples must first be crushed (finely chopped, use a wine crusher, grated on a coarse grater, passed through a meat grinder, etc.), and then slowly squeezed using a wine press (now you can easily buy them on the Internet or assemble them yourself using drawings from them). ). Before pressing, leave the juice for 6-8 hours in a cool place so that it absorbs the taste and aroma from the pulp.

1. Take a sample of the juice to test it for sugar and acid content. Add (optional) dextrose or fructose to 15 o P by hydrometer or 15 o Bx by refractometer. If necessary and desired, acidify the juice to pH 4 with malic or citric acid - the cider will be strong and capable of aging for a long time.
2. Pour the corrected juice into a clean, sterile fermenter, filling it to a maximum of ¾ of the total volume - there may be a lot of foam, or there may not be any at all - it is better to be safe. Add the yeast, cover the fermenter with a clean cloth and leave for 2-3 days in a dark, warm place until fermentation gains strength (at the breeding stage, yeast needs oxygen and there is no need to install a water seal now).
3. After 2-3 days, when fermentation is already in full swing, install a water seal on the fermentation tank and transfer it to a dark, cool (12-18 o C) place until fermentation ends. On DD, rapid fermentation can last at low temperatures for up to several months; CHKD will eat the bulk of sugar in 3-4 weeks (subject to low temperatures). Still aiming for as slow a fermentation as possible!
4. After a couple of weeks of fermentation, the cider can be removed from the sediment, getting rid of the foam from pectin and calcium, which carbon dioxide has pushed out of the juice onto the surface of the container. After this, fermentation should slow down a little, and the distillate after this procedure will be cleaner. In any case, when the water seal almost stops bubbling, a dense yeast sediment will collect at the bottom of the fermenter, and the juice will lighten a little, you need to remove the mash from the sediment and place it under the water seal in a cool place. In this case, it is important to fill the fermenter to the very top in order to reduce the contact of the wort with oxygen to a minimum.
5. Then wait as long as conditions allow. There is no need to remove the sediment - the taste will be richer. Ideally, cider for Calvados should undergo quiet fermentation and clarification until at least spring, after which it can be distilled without any qualms.

Distillation of cider into raw alcohol

So, we make our “petites eaux”, raw alcohol to obtain ersatz Calvados from it. I won’t offer anything new here that may differ from. Although there are a couple of important points. Main points:

• you need to distill cider as quickly as possible, with minimal cooking of the yeast; it’s better to distill directly with the sediment - it’s more aromatic;
• drive almost dry, to at least 10% alcohol in the stream, but it is possible to reach zero, squeezing the aromatic distillate to the maximum;
• to reduce the content of methyl and isoamyl alcohol in the drink, you can cut off a few heads already during the first distillation, for organoleptic reasons, or while the raw alcohol is dripping from the refrigerator and not running in a thin stream;
• the presence of copper in the steam zone of your moonshine still will be a huge plus - apple brandy will turn out much tastier and more aromatic, and also less harmful to health.

We have raw alcohol, ideally 27-30% strength. If you get more, dilute to this strength before the second distillation.

Second fractional distillation of calva

Copper is still very desirable in the steam zone (alambic helmet, plates or caps on the column, on-load tap changers). During the second distillation, a very big job of purifying raw alcohol from sulfur compounds, in particular, the foul-smelling dimethyl trisulfide, is also carried out by a copper distillation cube (again, an alambic or a regular cube with copper plates inside). Copper, of course, must be well purified before distillation.

We carry out distillation slowly, carefully crushing the distillation into fractions:

• « heads“and the “heads” should be cut off sparingly, since they contain a lot of fruity and floral aromas valuable for Calvados - 5% of the absolute alcohol in the SS or 1-1.5% of the volume of the SS will be a good guideline;
• « heart» select up to 60-65% of alcohol in the stream, without being greedy, changing the receiving container in time when fusel notes begin to appear in the smell;
• « tails» press at your discretion (usually up to 10% alcohol in the stream) - they can be ringed, added to the next distillation of cider or raw apple alcohol, as you like.

And here we have “bonne chauffe”, an apple distillate of decent quality, the strength of which, ideally, should not exceed 72%. Now, in order to get a thoroughbred calva from it, it needs to be refined with oak.