Calva Club 2026: The Apple of Accord

To earn their ticket to Normandy, the rule was simple: more than sixty can­did­ates had to spin the Calva Roul­ette and dream up a bespoke recipe built around whatever aroma fate assigned them.

Which is how ten bar­tenders came to land on the Côte de Grâce, itch­ing for a friendly shaker showdown.

Blind Tasting and Morning Alchemy

At Château du Breuil, the mys­tery chal­lenge imme­di­ately took on the air of a cab­in­et of curi­os­it­ies: twenty unlabeled vials lined up on the table, twenty raw ingredi­ents, zero spec sheets, not the faintest clue. The only option? Trust memory alone to decode two intric­ate, con­spir­at­ori­al com­pos­i­tions (The Stig et Norman T).

Laura and Can­dice rose to it with a smile, before the group gathered around a fire-pit dinner to set the world to rights.

The next morn­ing, at la Dis­til­ler­ie des Ambres the blend­ing work­shop felt less like an exam than aro­mat­ic recess: play­ing with four eaux-de-vie to com­pose the ideal apéri­tif Calvados.

A Prévert-Style Inventory, in the Glass

The after­noon present­a­tions turned into a full-blown fest­iv­al of ideas. Each bar­tender came ready to share their vision, gen­er­ously: Can­dice and her mis­chiev­ous Sou­polait, infused with toasted break­fast bread; Laura, weav­ing her Brazili­an memory into the apple with Cuca; Cinzia, rein­vent­ing the Norman insti­tu­tion of the trou nor­mand with her homemade ver­bena in True Nor­mand; and Jules, paying trib­ute to the orch­ard in bloom with Pimp My Pom­mi­er.

In the end, it was Emma who won every­one’s heart with her “L’After des Granny Awards.” Her for­mula for hap­pi­ness? A bright, spark­ling homemade green-apple soda, the com­fort­ing sweet­ness of hazel­nut liqueur, and one delight­ful flour­ish at the moment of ser­vice: a dash of Norman oyster liquor poured straight into the glass. The brine lands softly against the fruit, wakes the Calvados, and makes you want to raise a toast on the spot.

The Imprint of terroir

More than any­thing, this fifth chapter of the Calva Club was a remind­er of some­thing essen­tial: Calvados is a won­der­ful excuse to gather. Between bursts of laughter around the roul­ette wheel, easy wan­der­ing through the cel­lars, and glasses shared between pas­sion­ate con­ver­sa­tions, the event cel­eb­rated a living spirit, car­ried by a warm community.

We boarded the train home with our pal­ates wide awake, heads full of ideas, and the cer­tainty that the best way to enjoy an eau-de-vie is still to share it.

The Winning Recipe: “L’After des Granny Awards” (by Emma Duroux)

1½ oz (4 cl) Calvados VS

Top with homemade Granny Smith soda (rec­ti­fied and carbonated)

⅓ oz (1 cl) hazel­nut liqueur

1 dash Norman oyster liquor (poured in at the moment of service)

Gar­nish: fresh Norman oyster