Eau de vie

Three bottles of spirits: framboise (raspberry) eau de vie, zinfandel grappa, and kirsch (cherry) eau de vie

Eau de vie (plural eaux de vie) is a French term for a colorless fruit brandy, that is prepared via fermentation and double-distillation. A typical scenario would involve growing the appropriate fruit, harvesting when ripe, and fermenting the whole, crushed fruit prior to distillation. Unlike their cognac cousins, eaux de vie are not typically aged in wooden casks, hence they remain clear. Instead, the young, ripe fruits or berries are fermented, distilled, and bottled rapidly to preserve the freshness and aroma of the parent fruit. While this is the general process for creating eaux de vie, some variants exist and some distillers choose to age their products before bottling.

The term eau de vie is also informally used for similar beverages hailing from non-French speaking countries. Spirits in this category include kirschwasser, a cherry-based beverage; eau de vie de poire, a pear-based beverage; eau de vie de pomme, an apple-based beverage; eau de vie de mirabelle, a yellow plum-based beverage; eau de vie de peche, a peach-based spirit; and others. When the eau de vie is made from from the pomace, the result is called Pomace brandy or Marc (wine), sometimes called eau de vie de marc. The apple-flavored spirit Calvados is made by aging a distilled eau-de-vie in wooden casks before bottling, lending this potable much more similarity to cognac than a typical eau de vie.

Serving

Exact serving preferences vary by individual, but here are some general guidelines:

• Temperature: eaux de vie are usually served chilled.
  
• Portion: the usual scenario is to serve an eau de vie as a digestif (a postprandial alcoholic drink used to stimulate digestion). The typical serving size for an eau de vie is approximately 1-2 oz., owing both to the very high alcohol content of the spirit (greater than 40% [80 proof] by volume) and the fact that it is typically drunk following meals that have already been accompanied by wine or other alcohol.
  
• Glassware: some connoisseurs recommend a tulip-shaped glass, while others suggest the use of a snifter.
  

Etymology

Eau de vie is a French expression meaning water of life. Other fermented alcoholic beverages have similar etymologies, such as whisky, an anglicized version of the Irish uisce beatha or of the Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha. This is Aqua vitae in Latin, Akvavit in Swedish and Norwegian, and Wōdka meaning the same in Polish and Russian (vodka).

See also

• Apa Vie
• Aqua vitae
• Grappa