Christian Drouin Très Pomme Calvados

It was probably not in question that Guillaume Drouin would take over the family business, but before he returned to Normandy he traveled the world working in winemaking and even in the Haitian rum industry. Beyond the core lineup, they now produce a range of highly mixable spirits. Two fantastic gins with a base of cider eau-de-vie, vintage brandies with rare cask aging, and the Très Pomme: a two-year-old, cask strength (full proof is a rarity in Calvados) brandy selected from their fruitiest, most highly aromatic stocks. While I love the intensity of the spirit on its own, that combination also makes this the ultimate Calvados and tonic bottle. The proof will cut through syrupy liqueurs like St. Germain, or sweeter amari like Averna or Montenegro. I personally loved it in a sidecar subbing in creole shrub for the orange liqueur.