Cocktails with eau de vie

[Tzatziki]

I've become more and more averse to sweet things (I'm a grumpy old man, I suppose...) in cocktails, and I've recently fallen in love with eau de vies - they can add a dizzying amount of fruit aroma to a cocktail without adding any sweetness. For example, I tried an eau de vie variant of a daiquiri:

 

1 1/2 oz rum

1/2 oz raspberry eau de vie (st. george is nice, massenez' framboise sauvage is incredible)

1/2 oz lime

1/2 oz raspberry shrub (i did 2:1:1 raspberries:sugar:champagne vinegar)

1/4 oz Giffard creme de framboise

 

...somehow it tastes more like raspberries than raspberries!

 

Does anyone play around with eau de vies (the standards - poire williams, blume marillien, mirabelle - or the crazies - rowanberry, woodruff, sloe, etc.) in cocktails? What are your favorite recipes?

Edited March 10, 2016 by Tzatziki (log)

[cdh]

Absolutely, but not in the quantities you're using.  I've found that a Manhattan base is good to play with a teaspoon or so of different eaux de vie... A fdew drops into an espresso is also a delicious augmentation.

[FrogPrincesse]

Sure. I've used it to add a bit of fruit and punch to a Smash (Gascon Smash), to modify a Martini (Plum Blossom Martini), in a Fizz (a variation on Toby Maloney’s Williams Fizz), a Dark & Stormy variation (Alastair Burgess' Perfect Storm), etc.

 

Death & Co has a few recipes that use a touch of eau-de-vie as an ingredient to add flavor without adding sweetness.

Edited March 12, 2016 by FrogPrincesse
typos/fix link (log)

[TheBoozeBaron]

I really dig adding in fleur de bier in place of whisky in a Manhattan ratio. I know it's not really an eau de vie but distilled beer just has a really subtle layer of hop and malt character that balances really well with good vermouth.

 

Try a dry Remember the Maine. Swapping the heering for good quality kirschwasser really nails complex but not too sweet.

This was the last recipe variation I jotted down for it:

1.5 rye
0.75 sweet white vermouth (Dolin Blanc)
0.5 kirsch not cherry heering
Bar spoon of absinthe
Dash of angostura bitters

 

I've got more but the diary is in storage till the end of the month. Try any gin classics and split the gin 50-50 with a really good eau de vie, great starting place.

[FrogPrincesse]

19 hours ago, TheBoozeBaron said:

Try any gin classics and split the gin 50-50 with a really good eau de vie, great starting place.

I would probably have a lighter hand with the eau-de-vie. 1/2 oz is already a lot. I would start with a few bars spoons and build things from there.

[TheBoozeBaron]

On 12/03/2016 at 11:48 AM, FrogPrincesse said:

I would probably have a lighter hand with the eau-de-vie. 1/2 oz is already a lot. I would start with a few bars spoons and build things from there.

Or if OP likes the dry complex flavour then go all in. EDV can be 100% of the spirit component and not overpower a drink in the right context, especially when working with some of the better examples of that spirit.

 

Personal consumption not making it for customers right? Tzatziki go for a flavour uppercut and only trim it back if you want to, sometimes sweet or balanced is really overrated.