New York—The Barclay Bar at the InterContinental New York Barclay is getting into the fall spirit by offering the nation’s most extensive selection of apple brandy of Normandy France, reaching 92 labels this season. The bar was designated as the premier Calvados Bar in the United States and appellation ambassador by France’s Association for Cider Appellations (IDAC, Interprofession des Appellations Cidricoles).
According to bar manager and Normandy native Boris Burtin, Calvados has been made for centuries and each maker has a unique way to craft it. The collection at the bar ranges in price from $9 to $198, per pour, includes a rare 1939 Christian Drouin, as well as bottles from the 1960’s through the present time. For those interested in sampling, the Barclay Bar offers a flight of one-ounce samples of four types of Calvados, as well as a selection of sophisticated Calvados cocktails at $17 each.
The brandy’s complexity comes from blending over two dozen varieties of small, aromatic apples. It is carefully distilled from dry cider aged in French Oak barrels, then blended and bottled.
“The experience is a complete take-over of the senses,” says Burtin. “Nose, mind, and body will enjoy the evocative attributes of these brandies—each one with its own unique qualities”.
