Cyril Zangs 'Double Zero' Eau de Vie de Cidre
Cyril Zangs 'Double Zero' Eau de Vie de Cidre is a crystal-clear, unaged apple brandy from cult Normandy cider maker Cyril Zangs, distilled for him by Jean-Roger Groult of Calvados Roger Groult in the Pays d'Auge and bottled at 50% ABV in a 700mL bottle. Zangs blends more than 30 apple varieties — about 70% bitter and bittersweet, 20% sweet and 10% sour — gently pressed and left on the lees for ten months as cider, then Groult double-distills it on his 12-hectoliter wood-fired copper pot still with an aggressive heart cut. The spirit is proofed down gradually, rested at least a month and bottled with no additives. It is imported by PM Spirits and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof / ABV: 100 proof (50% ABV)
- Style: Eau de vie de cidre — unaged apple brandy
- Size: 700mL
- Producer: Cyril Zangs, Glos, Normandy — distilled by Jean-Roger Groult
- Origin: Pays d'Auge, France — imported by PM Spirits
The Ciderman, Distilled by a Calvados Master
Zangs is a legend of natural cider: his apples are picked from the tree, cellared in small crates for up to two months to concentrate, and pressed so gently that a ton of fruit yields only about 680 liters of juice. For Double Zero he handed that cider to Jean-Roger Groult — one of the great names in our Calvados cellar — whose wood-fired stills and stringent heart cut turn it into one of the purest white spirits in our brandy collection. Where Calvados gains complexity from oak, Double Zero takes it entirely from fruit, ferment and the cut.
Tasting Notes
PM Spirits' press notes describe a spirit that “smells and tastes like a brisk fall stroll through an orchard: ripe fruit, a crisp breeze,” with “layers upon layers of fresh clean apple” — laser-like in its focus, gorgeously aromatic, and completely dry on the finish.
How to Enjoy
Serve it well chilled, neat, as a digestif — the classic trou Normand in a glass — or lengthen it with tonic or dry cider for a highball with real orchard character. It also makes a remarkable gift for the spirits obsessive; see more ideas in our Holiday Gift Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Double Zero a Calvados?
No — Calvados must be aged in oak. Double Zero is the unaged eau de vie distilled from Zangs' cider, bottled clear to show the fruit itself.
Is anything added?
No — no additives of any kind; the proof is brought down gradually with purified local water and the spirit rests at least a month before bottling.
Who distills it?
Jean-Roger Groult, of Calvados Roger Groult, on a 12-hectoliter wood-fired copper pot still in the Pays d'Auge.
What proof and size is it?
50% ABV (100 proof), in a 700mL bottle.
Order Cyril Zangs 'Double Zero' online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — the purest apple spirit we stock.