Calvados sales dip in 2025
Despite showing ‘structural resilience’, volumes of French apple-based spirit Calvados fell by 5.6% in 2025.
According to data released by the Interprofession des Appellations Cidricoles (IDAC), the Calvados sector moved 4,348,000 bottles last year, which marked a 5.6% drop on 2024.
The data represents the three controlled appellations, Calvados Pays d’Auge, Calvados and Calvados Domfrontais, from where 300 distilleries operate.
Despite the drop in volumes, the IDAC felt the numbers reflected the ‘structural resilience of the sector’ with global spirits demand in significant decline.
The spirit’s home base, France, remains its largest market with 2.25 million bottles sold in 2025 – a 7.8% volume drop on the previous year.
Europe leads international shipments with 2.1m bottles, accounting for nearly half of bottles sold outside of France. Dynamic local conditions, particularly in Northern and Eastern Europe, were cited by the IDAC in benefitting the category.
While the EU takes 70% of the international share and is the biggest global market by some margin, the IDAC also found optimism in the US and Japan.
The trade body noted that volumes in the US were ‘broadly stable’ despite a 3% custom duty being imposed, while in Japan shipments saw a ‘significant rebound’ in 2025.
After ‘subdued consumption’ in France, the IDAC highlighted the importance of summer tourism where visitors to the Calvados estates in Normandy can support direct-to-consumer sales.
It believes this can be a strategic growth channel in stabilising sales, without the concern of international market fluctuations.
Guillaume Drouin, president of the Calvados section for the IDAC, commented: “Our fundamentals rest on a dual equilibrium: a structured export base, predominantly European, and a domestic market capable of evolving its commercial channels.
“The development of ‘spiritourism’ is not merely a cyclical buffer – it opens lasting prospects in terms of value creation, consumer engagement, and sales channel security. In a volatile environment, this diversification must strengthen the economic robustness of the sector.
“We call on the French public to reclaim their historic spirits, expressions of an exceptional living heritage at the heart of emblematic estates.”
Looking at the wider French spirits landscape, global exports fell by 17.4% in value in 2025, marking the category’s third year in decline.
There was also a decline of 15.1% in global Cognac shipments in 2025.
The Spirits Business previously looked at what’s going on in Calvados, with producers experimenting with various finishes and the possible return of the Appletini.
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