Calvados Experience

Just a few miles from Normandy’s Flowered Coast, in the picturesque town of Pont-l’Evêque, on the site of France’s oldest and most famous Calvados Père Magloire distillery, Sarner designed and built a world-class brand destination, featuring a multi-sensory journey charting the rich history of the region from Vikings to the present day. Visitors discover the mystery of transformation that turns apples into Calvados, the delicious apple brandy of Normandy.

Location

Pont-l'Évêque, Normandy, France

Services

- Story, Research & Interpretation - Opportunity Assessment - Market and Competitor Research - Visitor analysis - Branding & Marketing - Concept Design & Visualisation - Architectural & MEP Coordination - Masterplanning - Scheme & Detailed Design - Project Engineering & Technical Design - Interior Design - Brand Development - Lighting, Audio, Video, Network Design - Set and Staging Design - Writing & Content Development - Media & Film Production - Interactive Technologies - Graphics - Lighting - Audiovisual - Theming - Languages & Multinational Support - Art Direction - Installation Supervision - Special effects, 4D Vibration, Movement & Smell - Programming - Construction & Installation - Support & Maintenance - Ongoing Upgrades and Extensions - Training - Consultancy - Marketing & PR

Awards

TripAdvisor - Travellers’ Choice

Links

Calvados Experience

Client's brief

Spirit France, a global spirits producer and owner of three leading Calvados brands, dreamt up Calvados Experience to educate people about this noble drink. The Client approached Sarner to create its new state-of-the-art brand destination, allowing visitors to discover Normandy through one of the region’s most famous products. The birth of this new major Normandy attraction has been driven by the desire to promote not only a product, but also a region and its history. After all, Calvados is more than just a drink; it is part of France’s, and Normandy’s, cultural and culinary heritage.

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Our solution

A multisensory journey, to fall under the spell of the apple

Covering 3,000m2, Sarner created an exciting immersive experience exploring the history and making of Calvados via an interactive, fully automated tour lasting 1 hour 15 minutes and guaranteed to entertain all the family. Seven scenic universes create a magical world where visitors discover how apples are transformed into Calvados, the spirit of Normandy.

Features

An immersive and multisensory visit unique in France

The tour is designed to awaken the senses, starting with an introduction to Calvados and a brief history of Normandy. Stunning VFX shots help explain the origins of the region and the Vikings who settled there. Lifelike scenic sets and special effects draw the visitors further and further into the story, taking them on a journey along a cobbled lane, past a picturesque orchard to the typical pre-war Norman village and its cluster of half-timbered Norman cottages, complete with traditional marketplace. The heady scent of ripe apple wafts through the air as visitors inch towards the ‘country inn’. Within seconds, motion-sensors kick into action, and clips of punters indulging in a cheeky tipple dance across the façade.

Visitors learn all about the life cycle of an apple tree in the orchard room, discover the secrets of Calvados production in the apple-press and fermentation room, and find out more about the art of distillation and the traditional know-how of ageing and blending Calvados. For that special wow factor, a giant projection mapped CG apple mountain details a whopping 10,000 tumbling apples.

The finale celebrates 200 years of Père Magloire, the leading brand of Calvados. In an immersive cinematic experience, visitors learn about the history of the brand and discover how Calvados took its place among the most famous luxury French exports. The show is a celebration of local skills and the industrial and social history of the region, and the bond between the iconic brand and the people of France. A giant bottle of Père Magloire Calvados provides a magical doorway where visitors can go through to the Taste Bar and taste this famous golden drink for themselves.

This unique experience culminates in an exquisite tasting and a rare opportunity to buy from the best collection of Calvados brands ever presented in one place. A Calvados Connoisseur guides visitors through the three steps of Calvados tasting: the appearance, the nose and the palate.

Behind the scenes

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In this video - Behind the scenes

'This is an all-encompassing ‘experience’ that has become a true showcase for our well-loved brand, effectively representing its many years of history in a contemporary way.'