What is Eau de Vie Brandy?

Eau de Vie, literally translating as "Water of Life", is a type of brandy that is made from any fruit other than grapes, as in traditional Armagnacs and Cognacs. It is a generic term for distilled spirits that covers a range of flavours and fruits. Other more recognisable versions tend to have their own names to distinguish them like Arrack, Aquavit, Schnapps, Grappa, and Ouzo which are protected and can only be named so under their own rules.

Most common Eau de Vie flavours are pear, raspberry, apple, plum and peach. Caribbean styles are made from tropical fruits like bananas and pineapple, and Canada even has its own maple syrup version.

There are two key production methods for Eau de Vie.

• Fruit Spirit - Distilled from fermented ripe fruits and bottled without age to preserve fresh fruit flavours and aromas. They are typically clear in colour. Calvados is a form of Eau de Vie and an example where oak ageing does take place, as required by Calvados regulations.
• Geist - Some fruits like raspberries and sloe berries don't have enough sugar to ferment so these fruits are instead macerated in neutral grain spirit before distillation. Geist can also be made from vegetables, nuts, herbs, mushroom and other plants.