With this month’s venture into the Normandy region, our wine director, Cyril Frechier, has brought glass pours on to the menu that highlight the region’s popular apple and pear farming.  This region is renowned for its great variety of heirloom species, over 100 varieties are found thriving by generations of Normand farmers.  Through the processing of these apples and pears come two famous beverages: cidre bouche and Calvados.

Cidre bouche is a low alcohol, fruit laden and full flavored cider customarily produced in three different styles: sec – dry, demi-sec – off-dry, and doux – sweet.  Our featured apple cider, the Cidre Bouche de Cru, by Duche de Longueville, is a dry cider that is clean and light with crisp apple flavors.  The producer of this cider has gained a reputation as the only French company specializing in naturally-fermented ciders with no additional ingredients presented.

The featured pear cider, the Poire Autehntique, by Eric Bordelet, is Bordelet’s “Grand Cru” pear cider with just a hint of residual sugar.  It is very classy with the texture and taste of ripe pears and has a good amount of acidity and length. Bright, crisp, and delicious, these two ciders are a great match to the local cuisine of Normandy, which is traditionally rich in dairy and bursting with autumnal flavors.

Calvados, or apple brandy, comes from the distillation of apple cider. Production methods are strictly regulated; provenance, ageing period, and the distillation process chief among those regulations.  It is common for Calvados producers to use over 100 specific varieties of apple to produce their eau de vie and the ageing regime is quite lengthy, with a minimum of two years.  The Café’s apple brandy, Calavdos Pays d’Auge, Grand Solage Boulard, ranges from crisp Rome apple and white blossom aromas to sweet, mellow, baked apple flavors.  With this glass pour it is easy to see the many pleasures of the Calvados and as cozy as autumn.

Come join us in the Café for all that Normandy offers, and let our featured glass pours bring you in to the season of apples, pears, and warmth.