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Does an Apple a Day Still Keep the Doctor Away?And Does Calvados count?By Madelyn Miller, the TravelLadyFebruary is Flu month to most people. But it is also Happy Calvados Month. Sounds like a much better thing to celebrate to me. And I wonder if this delicious apple drink is actually good for you. Drinking it always does make me feel better. Calvados, apple brandy produced exclusively in Normandy, France, has a unique apple flavor, lovely amber color, and delicate aroma, and has been a cherished part of Normandy’s cuisine for centuries. Although cider apples have been grown in Normandy since Celtic and Roman times (there are over 9 million cider apple trees in Normandy today), Calvados gained recognition in 1553, when the cider was first distilled to produce eau-de-vie, or brandy. In 1942, Calvados was awarded recognition and a title, the designation of certified origin (AOC). Calvados is mainly produced using a column still, and aged in very dry oak casks. The oak contact allows the Calvados to develop its full flavor, and the oak’s tannins give the spirit its amber color full-bodied structure. Over 10 million bottles of Calvados are sold every year, with the top markets in Europe and Asia. One of the oldest Calvados producers, Busnel Calvados has been produced at the Distillerie Busnel in the famed Pays d’Auge region of Normandy since 1820. Busnel uses sixteen pounds of apples per bottle and over 20 apple varieties to create Calvados vintages, which are dated and indicate the Calvados has been produced from a single distillation, and blends, which mark on the bottle the age of the youngest Calvados used in the blend. Three blends from Busnel Calvados are offered in America, which differ by aging time: Fine (SRP: $24.99; aged for at least 2 years in oak), Vieille Resérve VSOP (SRP: $32.99; aged for at least 4 years), and Hors d’Age (SRP: $49.99; aged for at least 12 years). Busnel Calvados can be enjoyed as an apéritif, in a cocktail, or on the rocks or neat as a digestif (after-dinner drink). Some popular Busnel Calvados cocktail recipesBusnel Sidecar The Busnel Normandy Dream The Busnel Rose New York City honors a lesser-known but no less intriguing brandy – Calvados – with a month-long February promotion at local bars and restaurants, including Brandy Library, Brasserie, and the Soho Grand. But I think this is a wonderful thing to drink any time of the year. And somehow, knowing it is made from apples makes me think it is healthy. That’s in the fruit group, right. An important part of the food pyramid that everyone says you should have more of. I will drink to that. More About Other Good BeveragesOLDMAN’S GUIDE TO OUTSMARTING WINE: 108 Ingenious
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