Eau de vie

Eau de vie is the French generic term for brandies and other clear fruit spirits, literally meaning water of life, covering unaged distillates from grapes, apples, pears, plums, cherries, and raspberries. Unlike barrel-aged brandies, eaux de vie are typically bottled colourless to preserve the pure, intense aroma of the source fruit, demanding flawless fermentation and precise distillation cuts that separate delicate fruit character from harsh heads and tails. Quality hinges on ripe, sound fruit, clean fermentations free of off-flavours, and careful spirit selection, since no wood aging masks defects. Regulatory definitions in the EU specify fruit content, minimum alcohol strength, and labelling, protecting these traditional spirits from imitation.