Calvados is a spirit distilled from apples cultivated in Normandy. To be more precise, the apples are used to make cider, an alcoholic beverage obtained from the fermentation of this fruit. The cider is then distilled to produce Calvados. In Normandy, there are some typical varieties of apples, and sometimes pears are also added to enhance the final flavour. Distillation is continuous and takes place in column stills, after which the distillate obtained is aged in wood for a legal minimum of two years.