Already known to the Vikings in the 10th century, cider was very popular in the 15th century in the monasteries, where monks often made liquors. If no one knows who first distilled Calvados, Gilles de Gouberville recounted his recipe for an eau de vie (Aqua Vitae) made from the distillation of apple cider as early as 1553. In 1606, the Brotherhood of Distillers took shape, and cider and Calvados farms multiplied in the 17th century. They gradually established the tradition of the Trou Normand in the middle of the meal. It requires drinking a small glass of Calvados to restore appetite. Today, cider and Calvados have become hallmarks of Normandy, in the same way as Camembert.