The Ultimate Menorval Calvados Cocktail Recipe and More

 

One of the "classic" spirits in the Halby Marketing portfolio is our Menorval Calvados, a delicious apple brandy from the Normandy region of France.

 

Although it sells year round, it's especially suited for the fall/winter holiday season when the food magazines and TV cooking shows are replete with recipes utilizing Calvados as an ingredient. I've written about this before and, for your convenient reference, you can find my previous ramblings and Calvados recipes at the following links:

 

On Cue, Bon Appetit Publishes Calvados Recipe 11-19-08
Holiday Season Favorites - Menorval Calvados & Thomas Fogarty Gewurztraminer 11-4-08
RECIPE: TROU NORMAND - APPLE SORBET WITH MENORVAL CALVADOS 11-26-07
Menorval Calvados Perfect for Holiday Recipes 10-29-07

 

Although most well-stocked bars have a bottle of Calvados buried somewhere, in the rare event that someone calls for it, it's not one of those spirits that gets reached for very often. However, I've just discovered a delicious sounding cocktail in the Salon.com Kitchen Challenge  that comes with this warning:"Drinking calvados may cause giggling or the urge to hug. It has been noted over the centuries that when drinking this brandy with others, love occurs."

 

If this tastes nearly as good as it looks on paper (or on a computer screen,) I know what I'll be drinking this holiday season! 

 

 photo and recipe by Diana Adams

 

The Winter Angel:  

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 ounces vodka
• 1 1/2 ounces Menorval Calvados 
• 2 ounces freshly juiced apples, or store bought apple juice

Directions: Fill a martini shaker with ice, add all ingredients and shake gently to mix. Pour into a cold martini glass, and garnish with a slice of apple.

Though the Winter Angel is my clear favorite among this year's crop of Calvados recipes, it's hardly the only contender.

 

Derek Brown's recipe from The Atlantic for a cocktail called 

La Vie Antérieure utilizes not only Calvados but also El Dorado 5 Yr. Old Rum, another product distributed by Opici!

 

TasteSpotting has twenty (20!) recipes utilizing Calvados, including desserts, sauces and cocktails. This recipe for  

Churros, with Apples Sautéed in Calvados Crème is perfect for South Florida's ethnic cuisine melting pot. Yum!

 

Rounding out this season's crop of Calvados recipes is Heirloom Apple Tart with Almond Filling and Calvados Cream from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which also contains this piece of advice: "The Calvados is not cheap -- I paid $36 for a bottle -- but its appley goodness is well worth it. And you'll have plenty left to pour your guests for after-dinner sipping."

 

For all of you coffee drinkers, here's a bonus recipe, which doesn't use Calvados, but does utilize a number of other Halby Marketing spirits:

Winter Coffee

 

2 oz Gioia Luisa Lemoncello Crème Liqueur
1 oz Prunier Liqueur d’Orange
1 oz Prunier VS or VSOP Cognac
8 oz Black Coffee

Pour coffee then add remaining liqueurs. Garnish with whip cream, biscotti and cinnamon stick.