Cassis eau de vie

[Zachary]

So I want to recreate a dessert I had at Au Pied de Cochon last November. They had an apple sorbet made from apples grown in the Calvados region that was drizzled with Calvados, which, as you can imagine, was completely awesome.

What I want to do is the same thing, but with cassis. Cassis sorbet with spherified creme de cassis (which should look like the fruit), drizzled with cassis eau de vie. The only problem with my plan is that I know of two producers who make the stuff - Reisetbauer and Rochelt. Reisetbauer comes through Skurnik, and I'm working on that end. Rochelt as far as I can tell, doesn't make it here.

To be clear, what I'm looking for is a clear, high proof brandy made from fermented and distilled blackcurrants. Do I have any other options than the two above? Does anyone know where I might be able to find some? And will they ship to Texas?

Thanks in advance,

Zachary

[rlibkind]

Clear Creek in Oregon makes a cassis liquer, but not an eau de vie. It's made from Oregon black currants macerated in one of the distillery's clear fruit brandies. (They make seven varities of eau de vie, but not one from currants.)

If you want to duplicate what you had at Au Pied Cochon, I don't think you'd want to use an eau de vie, since Calvados is anything but that. I'm pessimistic in how an eau de vie would work in the manner Au Pied Cochon used the calvados, which is more akin to a whiskey or aged brandy than an eau de vie, which is clear, unaged, and much hotter in taste due to its higher alcohol content (90 proof vs. about 80-82 proof for calvados and other aged brandies).

[Zachary]

Bob,

You're certainly right about the eau de vie vs. Calvados issue, but I don't think anyone makes an oak aged cassis brandy. What I'm hoping will happen is that the sorbet will bring the eau de vie down in proof a bit to mute the alcohol. I want the woody/brambly flavor that the eau de vie has that the sorbet and the creme de cassis don't.

This is pretty theoretical right now... I'm not even sure I can spherify creme de cassis. But as a thought experiment, it ought to be interesting.

[rlibkind]

Well, good luck with it. Let us know how it turns out.

[Edward J]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Calvados an eau de vie?

Is it not a fruit wine made from apples and then destilled?

Is Kirsch not made from destilled cherry wine?

Williams from destilled pear wine?

Pfluemli from plum wine?

[rlibkind]

Calvados starts out as an Eau de vie, a clear, colorless liquid distillate made from hard apple cider. It is then aged in an oak cask for at least two years. It's no longer an eau de vie at that point, but Calvados. Yes, it's made from what is essentially an eau de vie, but that's not what it is. To call Calvados an eau de vie is like saying Scotch whisky is really a malt beverage: a truism.

[KD1191]

I don't think what you're looking for exists in this country, but down a slightly different road, the gents at Leopold Bros. make some 'fruit whiskies'. They "follow the 19th century practice" of adding fruit juice to blended whiskey...which doesn't sound entire appetizing, but they are quite tasty in the right context. I've had the peach and heard very good things about the apple...there's also a blackberry. These clearly aren't produced in the same fashion as something like Calvados, but there's a similarity to the resulting product...a oak-aged distillate with a significant fruit character.

[thirtyoneknots]

Might Slivovitz (plum eau-de-vie) fit the bill? Not too dissimilar in the grand scheme, no?

[Zachary]

Andy,

It might - I have Nigl's Zwetchen (blue plum) which I might use if I have to. On the other hand, If Herr Reisetbauer will let it go, I think I've convinced Pioneer to order a 6-pack of it.

Thanks,

Zachary

P.S. Where do you work? I think I might be in your general neighborhood.