An eau de vie (plural, eaux de vie — also spelled eau-de-vie and eaux-de-vie) is a clear, colorless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The fruit flavor is typically very light.
More precisely, eau de vie refers to a distilled beverage made from fruit other than grapes. Similar terms may be local translations or may specify the fruit used to produce it. Although eau de vie is a French term, similar beverages are produced in other countries (e.g., German Schnaps, Balkan rakia, Romanian tuica, Czech and Slovak slivovitz, Hungarian palinka, Sri Lankan coconut arrack, and Georgian chacha.
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Eau de vie is a French expression that means water of life. Other spirits have similar etymologies, such as whisky, which is an anglicization of the Irish uisce beatha or of the Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha. Similarly, we see aqua vitae in Latin (English pronunciation: /ˈɑːkwə ˈvaɪtiː/) and akvavit (/ækvəˈviːt/) in the Scandinavian languages. The Slavic terms wódka (Polish) and vodka (Russian) are diminutives of the words for water.
A typical scenario would involve growing the appropriate fruit, harvesting it when ripe, fermenting the crushed fruit, and then distilling. Eaux de vie are typically not aged in wooden casks, hence they are clear. The ripe fruit is fermented, distilled, and quickly bottled in order to preserve the freshness and aroma of the parent fruit. Although this is the usual practice, some variants do exist, and some distillers age their products before bottling.[1]
Some commonly available flavors are eau de vie de poire (pear) — known as eau de vie de Poire Williams when made from the Williams pear —, eau de vie de pomme (apple), eau de vie de mirabelle (yellow plum), and eau de vie de pêche (peach). When made from pomace, it is called pomace brandy or marc.
The French apple-flavored spirit calvados is made by aging it in wooden casks before bottling.
The term can also refer to maple eau de vie, made from maple syrup.
Exact serving preferences vary by individual, but here are some general guidelines:
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