Eaux-de-vie on the wine menu of gastronomic restaurants

Eau-de-vie	Type	Food Products	Sélection
Whisky	Cereals Eau-de-vie	Corn, wheat or barley wort	Discover best whiskies
Marc	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Grape promace	Discover best marcs
Vodka	Cereals Eau-de-vie	Wheat and / or potato	Discover best vodkas
Aquavit	Cereals Eau-de-vie	Wheat and / or potato	Discover best aquavits
Rum	Plants Eau-de-vie	Sugar cane	Discover best rums
Cachaca	Plants Eau-de-vie	Sugar cane	Discover best cachacas
Sodabi	Plants Eau-de-vie	Palm wine	Discover best sodabis
Brandy	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Grape wine	Discover best brandys
Argui	Plants Eau-de-vie	Cassava, sorghum or millet	Discover best arguis
Calvados	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Cider or perry wine	Discover best calvados
Lambig	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Cider or perry wine	Discover best lambigs
Armagnac	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Grape wine	Discover best armagnacs
Tequila	Plants Eau-de-vie	Agave tequilana	Discover best tequilas
Gin	Cereals Eau-de-vie	Barley, rye, corn and juniper berries	Discover best gins
Jenever	Cereals Eau-de-vie	Barley, rye, corn and juniper berries	Discover best Jenever
Abricotine	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Apricot	Discover best abricotines
Gentian	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Rhizome root and yellow gentian	Discover best gentians
Boukha	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Fig	Discover best Boukhas
Kirsch	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Cherry	Discover best kirschs
Schnapps	Cereals and Fruits Eau-de-vie	Cherry, apples, pears, peaches, plums, plums, plums, apricots and comes.	Discover best schnapps
Grappa	Fruits Eau-de-vie	Grape	Discover best grappas
Mezcal	Plants Eau-de-vie	Agave	Discover best mezcals

Before discovering the best “Eaux -de-vie” it is important to know what it is exactly. So, what is it made from?

Eau-de-Vie or “gnole” and “goutte” as it is commonly known in France, is defined as an alcoholic drink obtained from a single or double distillation of a drink with a low alcohol content, like fermented fruit juice, wine or cider or other foodstuffs such as cereals, root vegetables, or plants. Some “Eaux-de-vie” are flavoured with macerated plants, grains, or fruit for example.

There are three main types of Eaux-de-Vie:

• Eaux-de-Vie made with cereal like Whisky, Vodka, or Gin
• Eaux-de-Vie made with fruit like Armagnac, Marc, Calvados or Kirsch
• Eaux-de-Vie made with plants like Tequila, Rum or Cachaça

Eau-de-Vie can also be qualified by the type of food used to make it, like Cherry Brandy or Pear Brandy.

The alcohol content of Eau-de-Vie varies between 50 and 60°. This strong alcohol content allows the bottle to be kept several months, once opened.

The production of Eau-de-Vie

Distillation or double distillation helps increase the alcohol content in the drink.

Grape pomace can also be used in the Distillation or double distillation of Eau-de-vie. In viticulture, grape pomace is the dry residue left after the wine has been pressed, trod, and vatted. Several elements can be added to the grape pomace, like “vin de Chaudière” which is very acidic wine, low in alcohol content (it gives an Eau-de-vie made from wine), grape pomace (which gives an Eau-de-vie made from marc), root vegetables or grains. Eau-de-vie is classed as a spirit.

 Distillations of Eau-de-Vie are made with a still and are produced in distilleries.

After It’s distillation, Eau-de-Vie is then aged in vats.

Contrary to Eau-de-Vie, Wine or Beer are made with food (grapes or cereals) which is simply fermented. This explains their much lower alcohol content.

Liqueurs, however, are different from Eau-de-Vie because of their sugar content, which is over 100 grammes/litre of alcohol. So, the difference between Eau-de-Vie and Liqueur is the amount of sugar added.

Production of Eau-de-Vie first started in the Middle Ages, when the oldest Eau-de-Vie, Armagnac made with dry white wine, was produced in Gascony in the 14^th century.

Where did Eau-de-Vie get its name?

The word Eau-de-Vie comes from the Latin “Aquae Vitae”, which, incidentally, is the root of the word Aquavit, a Scandinavian spirit. “Aquae Vitae” means water which gives life. In the Middle Ages, Alchemists, who created the first Eau-de-Vie thought that they had found an elixir which would increase the lifespan of the person who consumed it. Eau-de-Vie was also known at this time as ardent “water”. Originally, Eau-de-Vie was used for medicinal reasons, for example as an antiseptic, due to its concentration in alcohol.

The healing element of this spirit gradually changed, and it was transformed into a drink when its flavour improved. Consumed in the past as a liqueur, Eau-de-Vie was thought to help digestion. This belief still exists, notably in the French tradition of the “trou normand” which consists of drinking a glass of Calvados between each course during a festive meal.

The name Eau-de-Vie comes from people’s beliefs that it was good for the mind and body.

Eau-de-Vie in starred gastronomic restaurants

Eau-de-Vie can be savoured as an aperitif or a liqueur in starred gastronomic restaurants. Most of the time it is served at room temperature, but it is possible to drink Eau-de-Vie chilled straight from the freezer or with ice. However, some customers prefer to add ice cubes to cool their drink. In starred gastronomic restaurants, Eau- de-Vie is served in a glass with a narrow lip, which allows the flavours to develop and enables a better appreciation of the aromas.

Eau-de-Vie is appreciated for its diversity, it has multiple aromas and more or less complex flavours.

Some chefs use Eau-de-Vie in their dishes or their sauces. As for sommeliers and barmen, they make cocktails with Eau-de-Vie.

Eau-de-Vie can also be served with a dessert, although Liqueurs which are more sugary, are more adapted.

A lot of Eaux-de-Vie are classed as a vintage by their year of production or their age. Moreover, Eau-de-Vie improves with age.

Bestwine • Online’s selection of the best Eaux-de-Vie

Bestwine • Online gives you access to a list of Eaux-de-Vie served by sommeliers in starred gastronomic restaurants. These suggestions of Eaux-de-Vie make up a reliable and impartial selection of the greatest brands and bottles, proposed with rigour and talent by Chefs and sommeliers. Starred gastronomic restaurants are, without doubt, reputed for their experience and talent in the choice of good food and fine wines and spirits. Regularly, chefs and sommeliers test Eaux-de-Vie to improve their wine list. Above all, they value not only the flavour of the spirit, but also its background and the region in which each bottle was made. In fact, an Eau-de- Vie is also a story of men, “terroir”, tradition, recipes, and methods.

For a good inexpensive Eau de Vie

I created Bestwine • Online to allow consumers to discover the greatest brands of Eaux-de-Vie. I would also like each person to know the characteristics of this alcohol.

I am an amateur of Eau-de-Vie. In actual fact, I go on Bestwine • Online to select a delectable Eau-de-Vie. In my opinion, chefs and sommeliers of starred gastronomic restaurants are the most experienced and qualified professionals to designate the greatest references in Eaux-de-Vie. I am not an expert in Eaux-de-Vie only an amateur who shares the greatest references.

Bestwine • Online is neither a classification or a comparison, it just proposes suggestions, brands, and bottles of Eaux-de-Vie. Consequently, you can take advantage of the knowledge of the greatest professionals in gastronomy to taste and find your favourite bottle of Eau-de-Vie. In fact, nobody can tell you which is the best Eau-de-Vie, as there are so many good types, brands, and bottles. A guide, oenologist, sommelier, producer, or wine merchant can have their own personal opinion on a good brand of Eau-de-Vie, but nobody can tell you which one you may enjoy the most. You can decide for yourself by testing several suggested bottles, to make your own choice. With Bestline.Online, discover new brands and references of Eaux-de-Vie.

Choosing an Eau-de-Vie can be difficult, with Bestwine • Online, I would like to make the decision easier for both novices and professionals, thanks to the talent of professionals in good food and fine wine.

Like having lunch or dinner in a gastronomic restaurant, with Bestwine • Online you can discover new alcohols and new products

Bestwine • Online, also helps you to travel around the world, with its choice of Eaux-de-Vie from all over the world. Our wine list is constantly updated which means that you can access a wide selection of newly chosen Eaux-de-Vie.

With Bestwine • Online take advantage of a selection of Eaux-de-Vie advised by chefs and sommeliers of starred gastronomic restaurants, to find the best in Eaux-de-Vie. You may also find a large choice of wines and spirits from the wine list of starred gastronomic restaurants.

Authentic Eaux-de-vie comparison and ranking to choose

The top of the range Eau-de-vies selection