Notes: This is a eau de vie is made from Swiss raspberries in small copper pot stills. Like some of the other excellent eau de vies reviewed on this website the Etters do not use bulk ethanol and chemical flavors like some (O.K. most ) of their competitors to make some bastardized vodka kool aid and try to pass it of as eau de vie. It uses a much more true (but expensive) process. They use then distilled and only the very center cut of the distillation is aged in small glass demijohns (50L) to mellow for 3 years before bottling.

Appearance: Clear bright as mineral oil, on swirling it leaves a thin clear coat on the inside of the glass and shows some impressively long legs. As I have noted in other reviews the fact that the essential oils do not separate from the alcohol base is a testament to the distillers skill.

First Impression: Smells like someone stuck a quart of raspberries under your nose, sweet, earthy and ripe at the same time. So smooth the alcohol presence is hard to detect on nosing till it warms- even then, very smooth.

Taste: The raspberry essential oils are rounder and more bass-like then most eau de vies I have had, and somehow they have managed to tame the bitter seedy or seediness that many others have, so while there and while a essential component, is more muted than some- which is a good thing- it lends itself to a more harmonious finish. The warming rush of finely distilled alcohol on the backside giving you a slight breathlessness as it slides down the throat. Nips at the edges and back of your tongue as you finish it. A wonderful, slightly warming, lingering dry finish.

Drinks: Enjoy it on its own with no distractions. However, it does work well in any drink calling for raspberry eau de vie (NOT liqueur).

Bottle: Clear rectangular glass with sloped shoulders- parchment style labels.

Final Thoughts: As with the other Etter products, some people may be slightly disinclined to buy it as it is pricier than the cheap imitations but well worth the money for a well made hand crafted product. See our Cocktail Math article for a real cost breakdown. Another advantage to this brand is it will not turn or go bad if the bottle is partially full for a good long time- so you don’t have to worry about drinking it up quickly.You can relax and enjoy the bottle over time .

Web site:: http://www.etter-distillerie.ch

Fast-loading with a fair amount of information and beautiful photographs.. Easy-to-read. Good content and descriptions of production. American readers take note: European design- run your mouse over things to find embedded links to click on.