Secrets of the Distillery

Visit Normandy’s finest distilleries and farms and learn all the secrets of how how cider, poiré, calvados and Bénédictine liqueur are made!

Picture-perfect scenes

You will find these distilleries in the heart of the pays d’Auge, in nature reserves and also in the countryside inland from the coast. These are the type of places where you can take the time to “mark, learn and inwardly digest”. During these visits you will hear stories about alambics,  eau-de-vie, the angel’s share (a reference to the part of the cask contents that evaporates during the ageing process). Next time you try one of these beverages, you’ll know a little bit about its history and how it;s made so you’ll appreciate it all the mor!

Tried and tested

At the Château Du Breuil, where Calvados Pays d’Auge is made, take in the setting a moment: a château with rose-tinted tiles, typical of Augeron architecture – quite a spectacle! In Cambremer, you will discover the Calvados Huet. Roll out the barrel! – for there you can clamber inside one and get high on the aromas stored inside.

In the Cotentin you can visit the organic distillery where the Père Mahieu cider is made. And if you prefer pears, why not try the Yonnière farm where they make poiré. Or at an altogether different level take another deep breath and go to the Bénédictine Palace near Fécamp where the famous drink has been prepared (exclusively) since it was “rediscovered ”in 1863. Ingredients include 27 plants and spices no less! And the proto-neo-flamboyant-gothic-proto-neo-Renaissance “palace” and manufactory is an experience in itself!

The excess consumption of alcohol is dangerous to health and should be consumed with moderation. As usual…

A SELECTION OF calvados distilleries

• Calvados Christian Drouin
• Distillerie Busnel
• Calvados Château du Breuil
• Calvados Pierre Huet
• Calvados Dupont

Calvados Experience: a unique and immersive museum