Fruit
At the frontier, craft distillers apply centuries-old eau-de-vie technique to fruits and botanicals the European traditions never had — from mango to Douglas fir.
This is the experimental edge of the category. American craft houses such as Tin City (ghost pepper, orange, cinnamon, fig, mango, walnut), St. George (basil), and Clear Creek (Douglas fir eau-de-vie) apply the same maceration-and-distillation technique the Black Forest used for berries to a far wider palette of fruit and botanicals.
Hood River / Portland, Oregon · US Craft
A pioneering American craft distiller applying Alsatian eau-de-vie technique to Oregon orchard fruit — plus a Douglas fir eau-de-vie.
Paso Robles, California · US Craft
A Paso Robles distiller at the experimental edge — fig, mango, orange, cinnamon, walnut and ghost-pepper brandies.
Ribeauvillé, Haut-Rhin · Alsace
An Alsace house famous for the sheer breadth of its eaux-de-vie — from Williams pear and framboise to holly, hay and rose.
Le Coux, Périgord (Dordogne) · France — Périgord & Brittany
A Périgord distillery specializing in the region's plum and walnut eaux-de-vie, plus pear and raspberry.