The Cider trail

Amen on the quality of the apples. The gite I stayed at in St James (near Avranches) had apples and pears that could be use as cue balls or paving stones. But when they go though the press, the juice is all that matters. And those hard pears do taste fine when baked.

Hey you guys... I rely on getting all the right dope on Calvados. in yesterday's NYTimes there was a featured article "An apple orchard in a Glass" in how Normands make the true workingman's drink even though one would not be happy to see the quality of apples used nor the prices that can be charged for those handled with everloving care.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/08/dining/0...&pagewanted=all

There are very few pilots in the air that night, and they are almost as drunk as we are, so nobody notice. ;-)

Gone...

People who are allowed to distil their own calvados are called "bouilleurs de cru". It's an old privilege, which used to be transmitted from father to son. In 1960, this right disappeared, so today only some people who inherited it before that year are allowed to make their own calvados.

Thanks, I will pass this information on to Claude. By the way, he offered some Calvados his relative made in Brittany, and it comes in somewhere on the level of "rocket fuel". He estimated that the clear stuff he gave me was about 75% alcohol. I got the impression that only the older people are allowed to distill their own calvados.

The problem with KERNE cider is that it is sold mostly in restaurants, especially creperies. I have never seen it sold in Supermarkets, and I always looked for it when I went to any food store. See if Leclerc has it in Guingamp.

It was very inexpensive at the production site outside of Pouldreuzic: about 2 Euros. Everywhere else it was 3 to 4 Euros per large bottle. It is just great chilled, and is very fizzy, not at all flat.

Waaah!! Gimme some KERNE!!!

KENAVO

Can my friend find the brand "kerne" when he goes to his mothers house to visit during Christmas? He will be going to Guigamp, which may not be far enough west.

Oui,

Kerne cidre is the BEST in all of Bretagne! I have stayed in Finistere (Western most Brittany) three times and found it all over the place. It's actually made near Pouldreuzic, the home of Pierre Helias Jakez who wrote a book "The Horse of Pride" (translated into English) if you're interested in learning more about the traditional culture of Brittany. I stayed more in Eastern Brittany and missed having Kerne, but I made it to the west for a couple weekends and enjoyed it there. I think it's best in the large bottles with a cork, not in the smaller bottles with the beer caps.

Kenavo!

Gone...

Well, we stopped by two places on the cider trail last week - Grandmere Grandval ahd M Huet. Got both cider and Calvados (vieux reservee) at Huet. This needs at least two full days to do justice to the trail. My friend Claude said it gets 2.5 pommes out of 3, but still maintains that Breton cider is better. This requires some serious field testing.

that's the best magazine on France. Even the letters are informative. i'm a charter subscriber since they offerered the US subscription.

Gone...

BPChuck!

Forget Paris, you will only find "KERNE" in Brittany; and only some creperies. BPChristope is correct: it is only small production. It is produced somewhere near Pont-Croix, as I remember.

In 1988 I found a cider brand that I really loved, with tiny chunks of apple in the bottom of the bottle. "Le Vieux Druid" is gone now, but it was superb.

If you think that the "sale Parigots" know Brittany, think again. It is as foreign to them as France is to Americans. They don't even know how to pronounce Breton names, cities or otherwise.

I have corrected visiting Parisians in Brittany many times on their poor pronounciation of Breton names.

Kenavo

At the end of September I got 6 gallons of Michigan Cider, right from the mill, and it was pretty good, but in g months tp a year if will be MUCH better!

BP Chuck

The best cidre I ever had could be gotten from any farm house in Normandie pendant la guerre for only a few cigarettes. The big problem then was not to get caught with one's canteen filled with it instead of the horrible GI issued water.

You won't find Kerné easily in Paris. It's a small production.

Kenavo, Am I to understand that this cider is available "Most of the "creperies" sell it as the drink of choice with crepes." including in Paris, or just Quimper?

BP Chuck

Hello!

The best cider that I ever drank came from Brittany, from Finisterre. And I tried them all.

The name is "KERNE." It is not exported, and not that easy to find even in Brittany.

I found it in Quimper, near the "Faience de Quimper." Leclerc might have it. Most of the "creperies" sell it as the drink of choice with crepes.

Kenavo

Mike, Calvados beets milk anytime!

BP Chuck

BP Chuck wrote:

That explain a lot of thing Chuck since I was breast fed until I was 2 years old
Mike (never been weaned off Calvados that is )

Al and Mike, you are both wrong! these were just very slow cows, and the aplles just fermented in their stomack! Now what you get is: milk spiked with Calvados, this way they have no problem starting out the young one early on Calvados!

BP Chuck

BP AL wrote:

You are absolutely right AL, I never give my Calvados a chance to volatize or evaporate; non
On a more serious note, I have found this neat website about "La Route du Cidre".
They are working on the English version, but if you enter the site with the French version, you will find some interesting photos, maps, and other stuff.
http://routeducidre.free.fr/

VOLATILIZES...that's what you have to watch out for, Cap'n. Too much volatizing going on!

BP Chuch wrote:

Wanna bet BP Chuck?

Moo...Mooo...Moooo
Dern them crushed apples