Written by Sheila Swerling-Puritt | 09 December 2010

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We're into the harvest season now, and there's so much fruit around that it's an embarrassment of riches. Much of the bounty will be consumed fresh or preserved to carry its goodness over to winter. A small fraction of the crop, at least in places like Alsace and Germany, will be magically transformed into fruit eaux-de-vie, dry white spirits with wonderful fruit aromas.

These eaux-de-vie are popular in Europe where they're made from just about any fruit you can think of. They make lovely aperitifs chilled, and perform beautifully in mixed drinks. Kirsch, Abricot, Myrtille, Mure, Pêche, Quetch and Slivovitz are well-known fruit spirits.
These bottles require large amounts of fruit to create small amounts of spirit — 50 pounds of pears go into a single litre of Poire Williams — so don't expect them to come in at Fuzion prices. These liquid crystallizations of ripe fruit are worth the price. In Normandy, apple cider distillate is aged in wood and is called Calvados. Although it retains its fresh apple aromas, Calva, a brown spirit, picks up spiciness from the oak. It's a pleasant alternative to the usual Cognac or Armagnac, a bit rough in youth when it's best served mixed in coffee or as a restorative. Mature Calva makes a great “trou Normand,” a mid-meal digestive.

Once you've tasted a range of eaux-de-vie straight, you'll want to see how they perform in deliciously fruited autumn cocktails. Here are a few recipes to get you started. I think serving them chilled is best for showing off the fruit.