Eau-de-vie

Eau-de-vie is the French generic term for clear, colourless fruit brandies, distilled from fermented fruits such as...

...pears, apricots, cherries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.

Because these fruits are normally so flavourful and aromatic on their own, eau-de-vie is rarely aged in wood.

Eau-de-vie is usually served as after-dinner drink in thin, stemmed brandy glasses, known as brandy snifters.

Also frequently used in cooking, mixed drinks, cocktails, and to flambé desserts and other dishes.

The main eau-de-vie producing areas in Europe are the fruit-growing regions in Switzerland, Germany and France.

From Zug and around Lake Luzern (Lucerne) in Switzerland comes the highly popular Kirsch, based on cherries and cherry pits.

From the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) in Germany comes the traditional Kirschwasser, also based on cherries and cherry pits, and the Himbergeist, based on raspberries.

And from the Alsace region in France comes some of the most popular eaux-de-vie - the Framboise, based on raspberries - the Poire, based on pears - the Fraise, based on strawberries - and the Peche, based on peaches.

In French, eau-de-vie means water of life.