478: Pommeau: What Happens When a French Classic Lands on U.S. Labels

What is Pommeau?

Pommeau is a: fortified blend of fresh apple must (unfermented) and apple brandy (typically Calvados in Normandy or Lambig in Brittany). The unfermented apple juice and brandy are combined before fermentation, which halts the process entirely and preserves natural sweetness.

By law in France, Pommeau must be aged a minimum of 18 months in oak and produced within designated regions. It's rich, amber-colored, and served as an apéritif. It is consider to be a French heritage drink shaped by decades of refinement and protected standards.

When did Pommeau receive AOC status?

Pommeau received its official Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status in 1991, formalizing the traditional method and legally protecting what can and cannot be called Pommeau within France.

And in America?

If you ask what Pommeau is in the United States, the answer is: nothing defined. There is no legal TTB definition, no standard of identity, and no trade agreement protecting the name. Yet hundreds of U.S. labels already use the word…sometimes accurately, sometimes loosely, often inconsistently.

So the question becomes, "What happens when a French classic with strict rules lands on U.S. labels with no rules at all?"
That's the conversation American isn't having… yet.

In this episode, Ria speaks with alcohol beverage attorney Lindsey Zahn to unpack what it means to use the word Pommeau in the U.S.—legally, culturally, ethically—and what cider makers and consumers should consider going forward.

What happens when a French classic with strict rules lands on U.S. labels with no rules at all?
That's the conversation America isn't having… yet.

In this episode, Ria speaks with alcohol beverage attorney Lindsey Zahn to unpack what it means to use the word Pommeau in the U.S.—legally, culturally, ethically—and what cider makers and consumers should consider going forward.

Key Topics Covered

• What Pommeau legally means in France
• Why the TTB has no definition for Pommeau
• How hundreds of U.S. labels were approved without consistency
• The difference between fortified cider vs. Pommeau
• Why a COLA approval does not protect you from trademark or trade disputes
• U.S.–EU trade agreements and why Pommeau is not protected
• Risks for current makers using "Pommeau" on labels
• Why "American Pommeau," "Pommeau-style," or accurate class/type statements may reduce risk
• The opportunity for U.S. cider associations to create a new American term
• A call for a naming contest—what the U.S. cider world could build together
• Why truth in labeling matters beyond regulatory compliance