St. George Spirits Aqua Perfecta Basil Eau de Vie

40% ABV

St. George Spirits was founded right here in Emeryville, CA by Jörg Rupf in 1982. It was the first craft distillery to open in the United States since prohibition. Jörg was distilling Eau de Vie at a time when most Americans had never heard of, nor tasted a fruit brandy. St. George long ago moved to Alameda and have gone on to great heights, expanding their production to include Vodka, Malt Whiskey, Gin, Shochu, and any number of other spirits and liqueurs. 

This is an Eau de Vie of Basil made with unaged grape brandy that is distilled with Genovese and Thai Basil that are macerated in the pot still. It is an absolutely remarkable aromatic experience. Try it as a split base in a Gin Martini, in a smash with fresh strawberries or watermelon, or just sipped neat. 

Producer Notes:
We use two varieties of the namesake herb in Basil Eau de Vie to create a lush, dynamic spirit that showcases this revered plant in all its glory. Fresh Genovese basil gives the eau de vie its buttery, green base, while fresh Thai basil lends bright, spicy top notes. Unaged grape brandy brings this rich herbal experience to fruition with its creamy body and fruit-forward mid-palate.

While we sometimes use vapor distillation to bring out the soft side of a fresh botanical, Aqua Perfecta Basil Eau de Vie demands a bold approach. We put both the Thai and the Genovese basil right into the pot of our copper stills to get lots of concentrated licorice, fresh fennel, and sweet grassy notes that wouldn’t be as apparent otherwise. The result is an unabashedly fresh spirit that tastes bright and alive.