Eau de Vie

What do you do with it? We have two bottles now - one pear and one plum - both presents kindly given but OH rarely drinks alcohol at all and, although I drink spirits I find EdV just a step too far on it's own. So far I've only had it as an addition to an after dinner coffee on special occasions.

Hi Amber
This is worth a try:

http://mycookingmagazine.com/quarante-quatre-a-normandy-pleasure/

I've had some courtesy of my neighbours and it's very tasty, easy to make and ready in no time.

..and a "merry" Christmas to you.

tocyvi wrote:Hi Amber
This is worth a try:
http://mycookingmagazine.com/quarante-quatre-a-normandy-pleasure/

It sounds delicious but what a waste of good eau de vie. Assuming, of course, that Amber is talking about "good" eau de vie! Lots of people make it themselves which is fine but likely is to be a bit hit and miss. Most of the commercially produced eaux de vies are excellent although sometimes, if there's a choice, it's worth paying for bottles that cost one or two euros more.

The most popular eau de vie is poire william (sometimes with an actual pear in the bottle) but my favourites are mirabelle which you can get in most supermarkets, but I especially like Eau de Vie de Marc de Gewurztraminer (gewurztraminer being the grape variety used to make Alsace wines) which is harder to find but you can get it at the wine merchants Nicolas in the centre of Limoges although they only carry a bottle or two at a time so you may have to order it if I get there first!

The best way to drink it, in my opinion, is as a digestif with a cup of good coffee and maybe a sweet pastry. Not in the coffee but in a tiny delicate stemmed glass or a shot glass. It would also be good as a mi-digestif half way through a meal of cheese fondue or raclette as it makes the cheese more digestible.

Drink it in sips. It's delicious.

What they do here in the Corrèze is, if you are served a copious meal of many courses (like they do for the 60+'ers in the village once a year for example), around the 3rd course or so they build in a "Trou Normandie", which is a bit of sorbet ice-cream with a shot of eau-de-vie poured over to help digest the meal better and make everyone a tipple merrier   .

PS. Amber: If you are really stuck with it, why don't you swap it for something you like?

Richard T wrote:I especially like Eau de Vie de Marc de Gewurztraminer (gewurztraminer being the grape variety used to make Alsace wines) which is harder to find but you can get it at the wine merchants Nicolas in the centre of Limoges although they only carry a bottle or two at a time so you may have to order it if I get there first!

The best way to drink it, in my opinion, is as a digestif with a cup of good coffee and maybe a sweet pastry. Not in the coffee but in a tiny delicate stemmed glass or a shot glass. It would also be good as a mi-digestif half way through a meal of cheese fondue or raclette as it makes the cheese more digestible.

Drink it in sips. It's delicious.

I normally have a Benedictine as a digestif but I'll give this a try. I'm in Limoges on Saturday so I suppose it'll be a race for who gets there first. Thanks for the tip(ple).

tocyvi wrote:I normally have a Benedictine as a digestif but I'll give this a try. I'm in Limoges on Saturday so I suppose it'll be a race for who gets there first.

I'm down to the last inch at the bottom of my bottle but, fortunately for you, I'm in the UK so no need for you to race there, a brisk saunter will suffice!

Hope you enjoy it.

Have a gander at lovebrewing.co.uk if you want to make any type of spirit or liquor.
Whatever you do however you mustn't get one of their stills as it's very very naughty.

Thanks for the recipe suggestion Tocyvi - will give it a try. Richard T - it is Eau de Vie distilled by the travelling still that we have in this region, so sort of home made I suppose. Myrium, Ive had lemon sorbet with vodka poured over it - yummy, hadn't thought to try the EdeV   

I did use some to dose the Christmas cake, and will use it tomorrow to light the Christmas Pudding. No doubt various visitors will help us to use it up over the year!  

Richard T wrote: I especially like Eau de Vie de Marc de Gewurztraminer (gewurztraminer being the grape variety used to make Alsace wines) which is harder to find but you can get it at the wine merchants Nicolas in the centre of Limoges although they only carry a bottle or two at a time so you may have to order it if I get there first!

Hi Richard
I got it in Vinum in the Family Village in Limoges, which saved me a journey into the town. He still had 1 bottle left, so you should be ok....unless I fancy a pint or two of eau de vie tonight, in which case I'll be back tomorrow.

tocyvi wrote:Hi Richard
I got it in Vinum in the Family Village in Limoges, which saved me a journey into the town. He still had 1 bottle left, so you should be ok....unless I fancy a pint or two of eau de vie tonight, in which case I'll be back tomorrow.

Excellent. I do hope you enjoy it.

I don't remember seeing Vinum at Family Village. Is it new?

Richard T wrote:

tocyvi wrote:Hi Richard
I got it in Vinum in the Family Village in Limoges, which saved me a journey into the town. He still had 1 bottle left, so you should be ok....unless I fancy a pint or two of eau de vie tonight, in which case I'll be back tomorrow.

Excellent. I do hope you enjoy it.

I don't remember seeing Vinum at Family Village. Is it new?

Next door to Grand Frais, on the left as you look at the front of the store.

Le-Dolly wrote:Next door to Grand Frais, on the left as you look at the front of the store.

Merci mille fois!