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Laurent picked up his distilling knowledge from his father, who went from village to village distilling the fruits of small growers. When Laurent took over in 1998, he shifted the operation to create eaux de vie and liqueurs distilled his own fruit. He also made the move from the using chemicals in the fields to a biodynamic production. He may have changed much of the production approach, but he continues to use his father’s still.

Eau De Vie - Water Of Life

What is an eau de vie? Eau de vie translates to “water of life” and is a clear brandy that is made from fruit that is cleaned, then fermented and distilled.  Other than being a clear brandy, eau de vie is a very different animal from a grappa or marc. Grappa and Marc are Italian and French brandies distilled from pomace, the leftovers from the grape pressing stage of the  winemaking process (i.e. grape skins, pulp, seeds, and stems).

The work it takes to create Cazottes’ spirits is a labor-intensive process. After caring for the fruit, nut, and flower trees, he has to time when to pick the fruit for ideal ripeness. The goal is to concentrate the sugars and flavors in the fruit. The grapes go through “passerillage sur souche,” which means they are left to dry out on the vines and then picked. The greengage plums (Reine-Claude Dorée) are handled differently. They fall to the ground where they continue to ripen.

After hand-picking the fruit, the skin, seeds and stalks are removed by hand and cut into quarters. Bear in mind, that in order to make one season’s worth of Poire William, two tons of fruit is hand-processed. Next the fruit is crushed, fermented, and then distilled. The resulting spirit is actually 66% ABV and needs to be lowered to 45% by adding water.

Laurent’s eaux de vie include: Goutte de Poire Williama (the French classic pear), Goutte de Reine-Claude Dorée (greengage plum), Goutte de Prunelart (a grape variety that is the parent of Cot / Malbec), and Goutte de Mauzac Rose (another grape variety).

Of all the varieties that Laurent creates, he acknowledges that his true passions are the Goutte de Mauzac Rose and the Goutte de Prunelart. He believes these are the true expressions of eau de vie and the fruit he grows.

Liqueurs - Sweet Wines

The production of the Liqueurs, branded “Sweet Wines” in the US for import purposes, have a lower level of alcohol (around 18% ABV) because they are a combination of macerated fruit juice and eau de vie. This creates a more fruit-driven drink.

As in the creation of eau de vie, the fruits are harvested, then cleaned, peeled, de-stemmed and pitted. The flesh of the fruit is then crushed and the juice is fermented. Part of the juice is distilled, which creates the eau de vie and the remaining fruit is left to macerate for at least 6 months in the eau de vie. Months later, the fruit is removed and the liqueur is bottled.

It’s the liqueurs where we start to see a lot of the variety of flavors: Wild Sour Cherry, Wild Quince, Folle Noire (grape), Cedrat (made from several varieties of citrus fruits), Noix (walnut), and Tomate (tomato). The Cedrat liqueur was originally produced in 2010 for a fan of Laurent, chef Michel Bras. Bras’ three-star Michelin restaurant is in Aveyron and he wanted something typical from the south of France, so Laurent created the Cedrat using organic fruit from one of Bras’ purveyors.

How To Drink

Eaux de vie and liqueurs have traditionally been served neat as a digestif, but this somewhat limits the magical flavor varieties being produced by Laurent. At a recent dinner at Rouge Tomate, beverage director Pascaline Lepeltier paired eight different Cazottes eaux de vie and liqueurs with chef Jeremy Bearman’s dishes. The eaux de vie were paired with the amuse and appetizers, whereas the liqueurs were paired with the entrées and desserts. When you realize that Scandinavians have been enjoying herring and aquavit since the 15th century, pairing eau de vie and with raw fish preparations like crudo and ceviche makes a lot of sense. Enjoying the more fruit forward flavors of liqueurs with a dish like venison is also logical when you think that chefs consistently create fruit sauces for venison.

Classic To Unique

One of the truly unique flavors that Laurent produces is the Liqueurs de 72 Tomates, created from 72 different varieties of tomatoes. Each season, he takes the seeds from the previous year’s production and grows more tomatoes. This is truly a unique flavor of liqueur and exemplifies what he is creating. Its savory flavors match perfectly with a salty appetizer like tapenade. He makes the liqueur from just 400 kilos of tomatoes. Unfortunately it is not currently available in the US.

Another of the less that classic flavors is the Noix du Pays d'Oc, produced from walnuts, wine and eau de vie. It’s a combination of sweet and savory flavors and would pair perfectly with a cheese course.

Try It

The top restaurants in London and Paris carry Laurent’s eaux de vie and liqueurs, like Marcus Wareing, Guy Savoy, Ducasse and Arpège. You can also try them at more casual spots like Le Baratin, Bistrot Paul Bert and Le Verre Volé in Paris, to name a few.

In the States, you can sip some Cazottes eau de vie and liqueur at Alinea in Chicago; Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami; Commander’s Palace in New Orleans; and Rouge Tomate, The Musket Room, The Wythe Hotel, Glasserie and Colicchio & Sons in New York City.