Pommeau is a French apple drink most commonly made in the Brittany and Normandy regions of France. Arizona Pommeau is the version the French would have made if they lived in the Southwestern United States. I used organic tequila with some orange and lemon liqueur to complete the margarita flavor profile. I also wanted to concentrate the apple flavor and add some color as well as additional phenolics, so I freeze concentrated the apple juice and added apple peels to the aging process. This creates a unique pommeau that has an ABV around 12-14%.
This recipe uses Sweets and Sharps, which are common apple found around the world. Think Red Delicious or similar apple that has a low level of acid as a Sweet and Granny Smith or similar apple that is very tart as a Sharp. This is different from making a juice blend for hard cider because you are not fermenting the juice. You want to imagine how it will blend and age with the spirits you are using. Aging the pommeau will still evolve the juice and create new aromas, but not to the same degree that fermenting would. Concentrating the juice will impact the aromas as well because the sugars and acids will be condensed. This is why you are starting with 1.5 gallons (5.7 liters). You will reduce that down by half. Also, I recommend clarifying the juice with pectic enzyme to reduce sediment during aging. You are adding an expensive spirit and concentrated juice so you want to minimize the loss that you will have from sediment. I used Arkansas Black peels but the Red Delicious peel is also a great choice. Lastly, this can be a great recipe for using store bought juice that is already clarified. If you purchase it in a plastic container, just pop it into the freezer to start the freeze concentrate process.
I use kegs so I can limit the oxygen exposure during the aging process. It allows me to easily provide a CO2 blanket on top of the pommeau as well as agitate it to perform the batonage process. I do this weekly to help ensure the peels transfer their polyphenols and encourage the aging process. If you are using a carboy or other container, this helps prevent mold growth that might form on any peels floating on the surface and exposed to oxygen. While I initially age this 4-6 months in the keg, you can bottle age it even longer. This is a cider that should continue to improve with time. Let a few sit for a year or two.
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