Launching National Calvados Week With Pere Magloire
From 18th to 24th October, Britain is going calvados crazy! Participating bars in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Liverpool will be celebrating all things calvados with tastings, promotional drinks and paired food to show you what this beautiful yet understated spirit has to offer.
The week is sponsored by Pere Magloire calvados and I was lucky enough to try three of their expressions with paired foods created by the head chef, Paul Coony, at The Blue Pig in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. We started with the perfect serve for Pere Magloire VSOP, a measure with cloudy apple juice and an apple slice garnish.
Calvados, for those who don’t know, is an apple brandy produced in Normandy. The VSOP is blended from calvados that has been aged in oak barrels for at least four years which gives it a crisp apple flavour which complements the fresher taste of the cloudy apple juice.
We tried the VSOP with Pere Magloire marinated sticky pork ribs and, wow, they are a thing of beauty. Slow cooked for so long that the meat just falls off the bone the marinade is slightly sharp but works perfectly with the fatty meat.
The Pere Magloire Fine VS was up next served with brie tarts with an apple and Pere Magloire chutney. The Fine VS is lighter in colour and created using several vintages to give a more concentrated apple flavour and a delicate yet fresh flavour. The chutney on these brie tarts is absolutely incredible. Tart, fresh and lightly spicy it cut through the creaminess of the brie so well. I’m not going to divulge how many I ate, I’m still disgusted with myself.
Lastly the 12 Year Old was served with dark chocolate and hazelnut truffles. More whiskey like in flavour, the 12 Year Old has a wonderful darker brown colour with a slightly floral, woody taste on the palate. The truffles dusted with hazelnut worked well with this floral note and the bitter dark chocolate melted in the mouth to allow the flavours of the calvados to come through.
We finished our evening with a cocktail designed by General Manager of The Blue Pig, Sam Vickeridge. Pomme Par Jour combines the Pere Magloire VSOP with triple sec, lemon juice and muddled apple for a fresh and fruity drink that will turn even the biggest calvados skeptic.
Calvados is something that really isn’t promoted very much around bars especially not in Manchester. Try something new and give it a go. You can see a list of events that are happening for National Calvados Week on the website and keep an eye on their Facebook page for teasers leading up to the event. I guarantee you will be surprised at what this spirit can do.
I was invited to this event as a guest and wasn’t asked to pay for my food and drink.
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