Apple Brandy for Autumn
Laird's Applejack, an apple brandy from the nation's oldest distillery
By late October, my tastes have typically shifted into full autumn mode, and this year is no different. The crisp, light drinks of summer have been mothballed along with the shorts and sun hats, and taking their place are drinks with a full, robust edge and a dark, season-appropriate color. While whiskey and brandy are certainly fitting, in mid-autumn the glass practically yearns for a touch of apple brandy.
In last week's Washington Post, drinks writer Jason Wilson (recently honored by the Association of Food Journalist for the "Best Newspaper Food Column") touched on the diversity of apple brandies. This is the perfect time of year to explore the category.
Apple brandy has a long and distinctive history in the United States, with the spirit produced by the nation’s oldest continually operating distillery—still owned by the Laird family in New Jersey—making appearances in records of the Revolutionary War and in the diaries of George Washington. Literally, hundreds of small farm distilleries produced Applejack, New Jersey’s signature spirit, during the nation’s formative decades, and today artisan distilleries such as Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon and Germain-Robin in California, produce spectacular apple brandies.
Those seeking a distinctive Old World-style spirit can turn to the venerable Calvados, an apple brandy produced in several designated regions in Normandy. As Wilson notes, “Calvados was declared by A.J. Liebling, author of the classic food memoir Between Meals, to be "the best alcohol in the world." In Liebling's opinion, Calvados "has a more agreeable bouquet, a warmer touch to the heart, and more outgoing personality than cognac."
Describing Calvados as a rustic style spirit, Wilson tastes several premium bottlings, including a 25-year old Coeur de Lion and Calvados Domfrontais, the latter made from a blend of apples and pears. This style is relatively new to the market but, as Wilson notes, “has been made forever, illegally, by farmers in this region.”
While I'm still quite a Calvados novice (with bottles of the older stuff sometimes costing well into the triple digits, I have a good excuse for my ignorance) I have to admit, I am greatly fond of the brands I have tried, and eager to learn more.
Are you a fan of Calvados or other apple brandies? If so, please share your favorite brands and bottlings in the comments section to help us appreciate the tastes of autumn.
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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5 Comments:
I have one single apple brandy story. But since no one else has commented, I figure I will.
So I wanted to make my first ever gourmet recipe for my girlfriend. It was this one, Smothered Pork Chops in Blue Cheese Applejack Gravy: http://www.recipearchive.com/recipe1.php3?rid=394
Living as I did at the time in a college town, Ypsilanti, I figured finding Apple Brandy would be easy. 2 hours later, having traveled to even gourmet liquor shops, I was ready to give up. No one stocked Apple Brandy, because no one drank it. After having ranged from Ann Arbor to Canton, I came up empty.
I finally stopped at a store near my apartment, the Keg, aptly named. There, in the back of their top shelf, covered in enough dust that it had turned into a grease, was a bottle of Blackstar Farms Apple Brandy. This is a Michigan company, but there was no telling how old this bottle is. I still have it. It's so potent, you can sniff it and get lightly touched.
Since it's purchase, I've used it to make Brandy Alexanders, and to soak raisins for oatmeal raisin cookies.
And I overpaid for it. 50.00, making the total of the gourmet meal 80.00. But it is delicious and in hindsight, totally worth it. If anyone else is interested, here: https://xblackstarfarms.merchantquest.net/store/product_info.php?products_id=56&osCsid=f922db2ced615bede06c7ae4abae397e
The meal, by the way, fantastic. I highly recommend it. The apples pair incredibly well with the blue cheese, onions and pork. It's totally worth the purchase if only to make this recipe.
noxturne at 10:32PM on 10/22/08
Nice story. Here in France of course I can much more easily find Calvados. There are some bottles in the grocery store for over 100 euros. Not in my league, but I swear the things have got some sort of mystical glow about them. Since I'm not one to partake in a brandy drink, but use it to cook with, I buy small flasks of cooking Calvados for three or four euros. The smell is divine nonetheless. Smells just like what you'd imagine the ground would on a cold fall day around an old apple tree. I used it last night to cook porkchops: just use the brandy to deglaze the pan, then add heavy cream. I also added some Normandy cider, which is another story altogether.
KimSteele at 2:21AM on 10/23/08
What I want is a recipe for this giant 100 euro bottle of calvados that my In Laws brough home from Paris last year. I want to make something really good. I been throwing around apple cake, apple brulee, apple apple everywhere no good recipes with Calvados. Bottle keeps staring at me.
Use me, Use me. Then the mad hatter starts some junk up with the chesire cat about that giant container of Herbs de Provence I got from Fortnum and Mason.
JerzeeTomato at 5:38AM on 10/23/08
Clear Creek Distillery in Portland, OR, makes fantastic Apple Brandy and other brandies with local fruit. I'm more partial to the Plum Brandy as a digestif, but the "Eau de Vie de Pomme" is aged apple brandy, and I actually prefer it over Calvados (and from what I remember, it's quite cheaper than the latter). They do have a 2-year apple brandy which is a bit more fruity. Just as an aside, their liquers are amazing as well, especially the Cassis. Mmmmm...
devlyn at 4:02PM on 10/23/08
I was visiting my folks this summer in the UK and we took a trip out to The Somerset Distillery where they make the most amazing apple brandy. I brought home a bottle of 5 year old brandy and some Somerset Pomona - both delicious. If you are planning a visit to the UK now that the exchange rate has improved (!) and will be in the south-west please go and say Hi - they are very passionate and knowledgeable about their product.
I found the recommendation for the Distillery via Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall and just today came across a recent column of his in the Guardian which has a recipe for pear crisp with apple brandy soaked raisins - I've just put my raisins in to soak!
Happy fooding!
isadora at 6:36PM on 11/09/08