Give Your Cocktail a Little Je Ne Sais Quoi
An unequivocal translator of time and place, eaux de vie—or unaged fruit brandies—have added a missing I don’t know what to the modern drink.
- story: Tyler Zielinski
- photo: Michelle Heimerman
The Lambeth Walk Fizz
Mango brandy, pineapple juice and banana cordial makes for a Ramos by way of the tropics.
Exotic Orchard
Atop a base of apricot eau de vie compounded by a measure of pear liqueur, Jelani Johnson adds a blend of rums for a fruit-forward drink that lives up to…
Strange Encounters
Carrot eau de vie complements a base of amontillado sherry and adds a layer of freshness to both ginger and honey syrups.
The Return of America’s Most Patriotic Spirit
Welcome to "Spirit Guide," in which Wayne Curtis demystifies the ever-shifting spirits landscape one bottle at a time. Up now: a guide to the reemergence of American apple brandy, in…
- story: Wayne Curtis
- photo: Lizzie Munro
The Overlook
A resinous riff on the Gin Sour, the Overlook's cool spice comes courtesy Douglas Fir eau de vie from Portland's Clear Creek distillery.
40 Maltby Street
Situated in a railway arch in what, until very recently, was a particularly quiet area of Bermondsey, 40 Maltby Street's spartan, no-nonsense space is an oasis for lovers of real…
Finding Terroir in the Water of Life
Eau de vie has long been considered a rustic peasant spirit unworthy of serious consideration. But a handful of small, progressive producers are showing that these fruit brandies are capable…
- story: Tess Bryant
- photo: Carley Botolin
Meadowood’s Quince & Asian Pear Brandy
With the help of Stillwater Spirits, Meadowood bartender Sam Levy combined an apple mash with native yeast and fresh apples to distill his own eau de vie, which was then…
