100% Pear William from the Pays de Serres, near the Gironde River in France. This deliciously fragrant eau de vie is double distilled for perfect clarity and crisp pear flavour. Bartenders have been finding dozens of ways to feature this spirit in high end cocktail recipes across the world. Rumor has it that a certain group of Boston gentlemen regularly meet at a certain trendy Boston eatery and wind up their French meal by enjoying pear shots. To which I say, “Pourquoi Poire?”
- 4 Stars, Highly Recommended, Paul Pacult, Spirit Journal
A bit about Eau de Viex
An eau de viex, French for spirits, literally “water of life” is a clear, colourless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The fruit flavour is typically very light. In English-speaking countries, eau de vie refers to a distilled beverage made from fruit other than grapes. Similar terms may be local translations or may specify the fruit used to produce it. Although eau de vie is a French term, similar beverages are produced in other countries (e.g., German Schnapps, Balkan rakia, Turkish rakı, Romanian țuică, Czech and Slovak pálenka, Hungarian pálinka, and Sri Lankan coconut arrack). In French, however, eau de vie is a generic term for distilled spirits. The proper French term for fruit brandy is eau-de-vie de fruit, while eau-de-vie de vin means wine spirit (brandy), and several further categories of spirits (distilled from grape pomace, lees of wine, beer, cereals, etc.) are also legally defined as eau-de-vie in a similar fashion. Many eaux de vie is made from fruits, wine, pomace or rye from protected designation of origin within the European Union.
