Ponce de Leon Got it Wrong

After travelling with Christopher Columbus on his famous voyage, Juan Ponce de Leon decided to stay in Hispania, having heard stories of a magical fountain in the region. He spent years touring the world in search of the elusive Fountain of Youth; that spring of water that would render one eternally young. What he did not realize was that it was here in his own backyard the whole time. He had only to try the French eau de vie (literally: water of life) to understand why the French always appear so young and healthy. This beverage finds its origins with the winemakers of the Cognac region who developed a double-distilling process for the transport of their wine. They had found that the low alcohol content of their product contributed to its going bad during long sea voyages. By increasing the alcohol content, the wine was able to endure the trip, with the intention that it would be diluted upon reaching its destination. Someone along the way discovered that time spent in the oak barrels actually improved the double-distilled wine giving birth to Cognac, the original eau de vie. Since then, the world of eau de vie has opened up to include a range of fruit products, most notably pear. In keeping with the theme of water, a good eau de vie is clear with a strong fruit scent. But be careful! Hovering around a 55% alcohol content, the "water" packs a punch! It is most often used as a digestif after a hearty meal but can also be added to coffee or various dessert recipes. No matter how you use it, keep in mind that the French respect their liquor and anything more than two shots is considered bad taste.