Calvados is a type of brandy made from apples and/or pears, produced exclusively in the Normandy region of France. It is distilled from cider made from over 200 named varieties of apples, which are either sweet, tart, or bitter. The resulting spirit is aged for at least two years in oak barrels, although many bottles age for much longer, resulting in baked apple flavors. Calvados has an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), which is a strict set of rules that limit where and how it can be produced. There are three appellations for Calvados: AOC Calvados, AOC Calvados Pays dAuge, and AOC Calvados Domfrontais. Calvados can be enjoyed as an apéritif, blended in drinks, between meals, as a digestif, or with coffee. It is traditionally served in a small tulip glass as an after-dinner drink or as a palate cleanser that’s consumed at the midway point of a meal, known as "le trou Normand". Calvados is also paired with cigars, chocolate, apple pastries, and creamy Norman cheeses like Camembert, Pont l’Eveque, and Livarot.