Spirits / Fruit Brandy / Eau de Vie
Eau de vie, literally “water of life”, is alcohol as it comes out of the still, clear and full of primary fruit aromas and flavors. What will eventually become cognac, armagnac and calvados is actually eau de vie when it exits the alambic. But grape-based spirits such as those must legally be aged in barrel and have color, and are thus considered brandies when finished. Thus normally when one speaks of eau de vie, one means clear fruit brandies that are literally the distilled essence of the fruit from which they are made.
Eaux de vie (the plural version) can be made from an incredibly wide variety of fruits, and are made by methods commonly seen with other spirits: the fruits are harvested, crushed, fermented and distilled with an effort to preserve the character of the base fruit. They are especially popular in areas that don’t grow grapes, or where brandy is not often produced.
The most common eaux de vie come from orchard fruits such as pears, plums, cherries and raspberries. Perhaps the most popular eau de vie in France is Poire Williams, made with only the Bartlett pear variety. One of our eau de vie producers, Jean-Paul Metté, makes what is considered to be one of France’s finest Eau de Vie de Poire Williams from pears he gets from a grower in Valence (with whom he has had a relationship for years). He also makes a delightful Eau de Vie de Framboise Sauvage from wild raspberries he buys from a small, highly trusted grower in Romania.
Kirsch, a cherry-based eau de vie from Germany and Slivovitz, a plum-based eau de vie from eastern Europe, also have large followings around the world.
Our producer Distillerie Louis Roque, has been located in Souillac, not far from the Cahors appellation, since the late 19th century. There, through all these years, the members of the Roque family have carried on the tradition of distilling highly prized plum brandy from father to son.
Eaux de vie (the plural version) can be made from an incredibly wide variety of fruits, and are made by methods commonly seen with other spirits: the fruits are harvested, crushed, fermented and distilled with an effort to preserve the character of the base fruit. They are especially popular in areas that don’t grow grapes, or where brandy is not often produced.
The most common eaux de vie come from orchard fruits such as pears, plums, cherries and raspberries. Perhaps the most popular eau de vie in France is Poire Williams, made with only the Bartlett pear variety. One of our eau de vie producers, Jean-Paul Metté, makes what is considered to be one of France’s finest Eau de Vie de Poire Williams from pears he gets from a grower in Valence (with whom he has had a relationship for years). He also makes a delightful Eau de Vie de Framboise Sauvage from wild raspberries he buys from a small, highly trusted grower in Romania.
Kirsch, a cherry-based eau de vie from Germany and Slivovitz, a plum-based eau de vie from eastern Europe, also have large followings around the world.
Our producer Distillerie Louis Roque, has been located in Souillac, not far from the Cahors appellation, since the late 19th century. There, through all these years, the members of the Roque family have carried on the tradition of distilling highly prized plum brandy from father to son.