While apple brandy is often thought of as an after dinner drink or as part of a pre-dinner cocktail, it’s often a great complement to the meal itself.
In Normandy, apple brandy has long been part of the meal. Norman meals can last hours with countless courses of heavy dishes lasting late into the night. A small glass of Calvados called the Trou Normand or “Norman Hole” between courses is said to cleanse the palate and aid in digestion making a hole for more food to fit.
Calvados producer Christian Drouin has traveled the world sharing the role of calvados in a meal. In his new book, the Art of Calvados, he suggests that spirits pair better with the spicy and aromatic notes of Chinese, Indian, and northern African cuisine than wine does. In addition, the bright spirit also complements the raw fish dishes of northern Europe and Japan.
Inspired during a lively tasting and discussion with chef Barbara Hom in July, we recently teamed up with Barbara to produce a 5-course brandy pairing dinner. We learned a great deal in the process which we share below. We hope it inspires you to try new pairings as well, and let us know what you find that works well and we can share that in future newsletters.
Fresh Fish & Dim Sum
The meal began with two appetizers: seared ahi on crispy won tons with wasabi and ground pork & mushroom balls rolled in pearl rice.
Here we wanted to balance the umami notes of the pork and mushroom and the fresh and spicy notes of the tuna. We approached this with a cocktail named after the unique pear terroir expressed in our Poire Eau de Vie.
The Poire is an interesting spirit to work into a meal. It is bold and complex making it hard to find balance. By enhancing the pear notes with the full flavors of the chardonnay and complementing the skin and earth notes with almonds, we were able to seamlessly pair with both the rich umami notes of the pork and mushroom and the much brighter ahi and wasabi. A touch of sweetness to the cocktail additionally balanced the richness of the proteins.
Prawn Spring Rolls
For the prawn spring rolls we wanted to highlight the natural sweetness of the shrimp but not overpower it. For this course we found our Gravenstein Pommeau was a perfect balance and was able to highlight the natural flavors of the shrimp with the sweet and sharp fresh Gravenstein spirit and juice. The pommeau is a great pairing with any fresh or marinated shellfish.
Miso Glazed Black Cod
Miso glazed black cod in a light broth is a delicate but flavorful dish. The rock cod has abundant natural oils and the miso adds a classic umami and salty components.
We found the Newtown Pippin Brandy to be a perfect pairing with the cod. This single cultivar brandy has a light and delicate flavor with a distinctive mountain floral nose supported by cedar and vanilla. It’s delicate enough to not overpower the fish and it’s bright floral aromas played on top of the oily flavors of the fish.
Tea Brined Duck Breast
A tea brined or tea smoked duck is an classic Chinese banquet dish. Duck is very rich and fatty protein and the tea adds a tannic spice profile.
Here we went with our flagship Calvados style Founders Reserve Apple Brandy. The cooked apple, cinnamon and cardamon baking spice notes of the brandy dovetailed into the tea flavors of the duck, while the rich oak and apple undertones complemented the duck.
Matcha Cream Puff
Dessert was a matcha cream puff with black sesame choux, an fusion dish combining classic French pastry with Asian flavors.
Matcha and black sesame are two strong and distinctive flavors. We found a beautiful match in our special release A Shade of Green alpine herbal brandy inspired by Chartreuse. If you’ve not tried it, this summer’s club release liqueur is a pear base with thirteen alpine herbs and spices. Not only did the bright herbal notes complement the earthy matcha but the green color was a beautiful match as well.