🥃 Normandy perry spirit (Eau-de-vie de poiré de Normandie)

Normandy perry spirit (Eau-de-vie de poiré de Normandie) is a French clear strong spirit distilled from perry, the fermented juice of perry pears. It does not touch wood and has a fresh fruity taste. The name has been protected in the EU since 1989, and it has been known as a regional designation since 1963.

Raw material. Pears are picked in five departments of Normandy and in several communes of Mayenne. At least 80% of the orchard area must be high-trunk trees planted at least 6 m apart; yield is up to 25 t per hectare. A perry pear grows slowly: it often takes more than 15 years to bear fruit, and a living tree can exceed a century.

Production. Adding sugar to the must is forbidden. Perry is distilled twice in a copper pot still or a copper column of up to 250 hl of raw material per day, without rectification; the fresh spirit is up to 72% ABV. It then matures at least three months in inert containers and may contain up to 10 g/l of sugar.

History. The perry pear is the oldest fruit crop of Normandy, older than the cider apples that arrived from north-western Spain in the 11th century. Perry distillate was sold in Bernay as early as 1774, and in 1823 pear and cider distillates of 52–55% strength were described in Orne.

Why this matters to you. Do not confuse perry spirit with Williams pear brandy: the first is distilled from fermented pear juice, the second from a mash of Williams pears. This spirit is always colourless and never aged in wood. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol.