Eau de vie, pronounced [oh-duh-vee], is a type of alcohol that is made from fruit, mostly of the non-citrus variety, such as grapes, pears, apples, cherries, and plums. It is made by distilling the fermented juice of the fruit, which means that the alcohol is separated from the liquid. This creates a clear, colorless liquid that is very strong and has a fruity flavor.
Think of it like this - when you make juice, you take fruit and squeeze it to get the juice out. When you make eau de vie, you take that fruit juice and turn it into alcohol by separating the juice from the alcohol. So it's kind of like juice that has been turned into a strong drink.
Eau de vie is very popular in parts of Europe and is often used as a digestif, which is a drink you have after a meal to help with digestion. It's also sometimes used in cocktails or as a flavoring for desserts.
Now, because eau de vie is made from fruit, the flavor can vary depending on what kind of fruit is used. For example, pear eau de vie will taste like pears, while cherry eau de vie will taste like cherries.
So, imagine you take a really ripe pear and drink the juice from it. That's what pear eau de vie tastes like, except it's alcohol!
Overall, eau de vie is a type of strong alcohol made from fruit juice that has a fruity flavor and is often used as a digestif or in cocktails/desserts.