Eaux-de-vie: The Basics
What You Need To Know
Eaux-de-vie, or aqua vitae. However you say it, or whatever language you choose, it comes out the same; “water of life.” As a spirits category EDV is much neglected particularly in America were it is most often relegated to culinary tasks. This is very sad indeed. In a large sense EDV can be defined as a distillate of any fruit. Before they are aged in wood casks, the world’s most famous brandies, Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados are crystal clear and could be classified as EDV. A small handful of producers in these regions do bottle clear, unaged spirits to showcase the purity of fruit found in their aged products albeit masked by wood and the effects of maturation. The most common fruits used to produce are: Poire-Williams (pear), Framboise (raspberry), Kirsch (cherry), Mure (blackberry), and Fraise (strawberry). Many see the fruit names on the bottles and mistakenly believe that these spirits are sweet; EDV is NOT sweet and is in fact quite dry.
The Experts Rap
As stated above, EDV is not sweet. There are many liqueurs named for the same fruits, and fashioned by the same brands, used to produce EDV. These liqueurs are most often colored distinguishing themselves from the crystal clear EDV. EDV is a part of everyday life in central Europe where it is enjoyed as a digestif. Good EDV doesn’t come cheap, nor should it. A bottle of Vodka can be made for much less than a buck’s worth of raw ingredients. EDV, on the other hand, packs 20 to 30 pounds of fruit in to each bottle. The distillate emphasizes purity without the luxury of wood, sugar, and other flavors to conceal its flaws. Most EDV is produced in France and Switzerland. Some good examples are now being made in the US and my personal favorite is made at a little distillery in Belgium called Distillerie de Biercee).
When and How
EDV is best served chilled and is a great accompaniment to fruit and/or cream deserts. Custard based tarts studded with fresh fruit are an extremely good match. Avoid mixing with anything with the exception of seltzer, as mixers will mask the subtle flavors. At that point you may as well be using Vodka.