Eau-de-Vie
An eau-de-vie (‘water of life’) is a brandy made with any fruit, with the exception of grapes. To ensure their fruit character, most are bottled with no ageing. Eaux-de-vie are made with a staggering variety of raw ingredients – you think of a fruit, and you can bet that at some point, someone will have tried to make an eau-de-vie from it.
Eaux-de-vie are best served chilled at the end of a meal. For stone fruits such as apricots, peaches and plums, the method of production is akin to most other brandies: the fruit is crushed and fermented into wine before distillation in a pot still. For fruits without stones, the usual method of production is maceration, where the fruit is immersed in neutral alcohol before distillation.
It is worth pointing out that many generic products calling themselves apricot or cherry brandies are in fact liqueurs, the ingredients having been only macerated and not distilled.
Typical Character and Style of Eau-de-Vie
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Acetone
Sort & Filter
Somerset Apple Eau de Vie
£16.75
(£47.86 per litre)
Slivovica Badel
£19.75
(£39.50 per litre)
Specht Slivovitz
£23.95
(£34.21 per litre)
Freihof 1885 Raspberry Geist Schnaps
£24.25
(£48.50 per litre)
Freihof 1885 Apricot Schnaps
£24.25
(£48.50 per litre)
Freihof 1885 Blood Orange Geist Schnaps
£24.25
(£48.50 per litre)
Boukha Bokobsa Fig Brandy
£31.25
(£44.64 per litre)
Son of a Gun Grain Spirit
£31.25
(£62.50 per litre)
Jade Le CoeurEau De Vie De Vin
£32.25
(£46.07 per litre)
La Blanche de Christian Drouin Eau de Vie de Cidre
£33.95
(£48.50 per litre)
Stara Sokolova 7 Slivovitz
£34.95
(£49.93 per litre)
Van Wees Tonka Bean SpiritSmall Bottle
£34.95
(£17.48 per 10cl)
Berghof Kirsch
£35.95
(£71.90 per litre)
Mette Spiritueux d'Asperge (Asparagus)Half Bottle
£35.95
(£102.71 per litre)
Mette Baie de Houx (Holly)Half Bottle
£36.75
(£105 per litre)
Mette Spiritueux de Cannelle (Cinnamon)
£36.95
(£105.57 per litre)
Mette Spiritueux Lavande (Lavender)
£37.25
(£106.43 per litre)
Quaglia Orange Brandy
£37.95
(£54.21 per litre)
Freya Woodsmoke Birch Spirit
£38.75
(£55.36 per litre)
Freya Birch Spirit
£38.75
(£55.36 per litre)
Mirabelle Grande Reserve Eau de VieG. Miclo
£38.95
(£77.90 per litre)
30&40 Eaux de Vie
£39.95
(£57.07 per litre)
Lubberhuizen & Raaff Peer Conference
£40.45
(£80.90 per litre)
Lubberhuizen & Raaff Betuws Goud AppleHalf Litre
£40.45
(£80.90 per litre)