Apricot Eau-de-Vie
Apricot eau-de-vie is a spirit distilled from fermented apricots. The legal minimum is 37.5% ABV and we use 40% as a working figure, so 25ml is 1.0 UK unit. In Great Britain it is a fruit spirit, category 9 of Annex II to retained Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, and it may not be flavoured. It is not apricot brandy. Our apricot brandy page is a liqueur at 25% ABV, with sugar added. Our Gin Blossom takes 22.5ml of apricot eau-de-vie against 45ml of gin and 45ml of bianco vermouth.
Quick Facts
Upright, capped, away from sunlight. The fridge is not needed.
None of the 14 listed allergens. None declared on the producer page we read. Check the bottle.
About Apricot Eau-de-Vie
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Rochelt’s notes for its Wachau Apricot describe ripe apricot flavours; taste the bottle before you measure it into a stirred drink.
Category 9 makes it a spirit, not a liqueur
Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, as retained in UK law, defines fruit spirit as a spirit drink made only by the alcoholic fermentation and distillation of fleshy fruit, with or without stones. It is distilled at under 86% ABV, so the aroma and taste of the fruit survive. The minimum strength is 37.5%, no alcohol may be added, and fruit spirit may not be flavoured. The sales name is the word spirit preceded by the fruit, so this is apricot spirit; eau-de-vie is the French term.
Apricot is a stone fruit, so the category adds a limit on hydrocyanic acid, and a methanol ceiling of 1,200 grams per hectolitre of pure alcohol for apricots. Those are producers’ concerns. The point for the bar is that nothing is added to the apricots but yeast, time and the still.
A liqueur borrows the word brandy; this spirit does not
The apricot brandy on our shelf is a liqueur, listed at 25% ABV. Our brandy guide explains why: category 32 allows the compound term apricot brandy on a liqueur, which needs at least 100 grams of sugar a litre, and the word borrows the name of a spirit. The two bottles share a fruit and little else. One sweetens a drink; the other adds apricot and strength.
Apricot eau-de-vie against its neighbours (categories from Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 110/2008; strengths from our pages and Rochelt)
Apricot eau-de-vie
- Legal category
- Fruit spirit, category 9
- Strength
- 37.5% minimum; 40% working figure; Rochelt 50%
- What goes in it
- Apricots only, fermented and distilled
Kirsch
- Legal category
- Fruit spirit, category 9
- Strength
- 37.5% minimum
- What goes in it
- Cherries only; the regulation allows kirsch as the name for cherry spirit
Apricot brandy
- Legal category
- Liqueur, category 32
- Strength
- 25% on our page
- What goes in it
- A spirit base with sugar added, at least 100g/L
| Bottle | Legal category | Strength | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apricot eau-de-vie | Fruit spirit, category 9 | 37.5% minimum; 40% working figure; Rochelt 50% | Apricots only, fermented and distilled |
| Kirsch | Fruit spirit, category 9 | 37.5% minimum | Cherries only; the regulation allows kirsch as the name for cherry spirit |
| Apricot brandy | Liqueur, category 32 | 25% on our page | A spirit base with sugar added, at least 100g/L |
Measure it as a spirit
At a working 40% ABV, 22.5ml is 0.9 UK units, and the whole Gin Blossom comes to about 3.4. Producers differ: Rochelt prints 50% vol for its Wachau Apricot, so a bottle at that strength adds about a quarter more alcohol from the same pour.
Using Apricot Eau-de-Vie
Usage
Pour 22.5ml with 45ml of gin and 45ml of bianco vermouth, with 2 dashes of orange bitters, for a Gin Blossom. Measure it with a jigger, as it is a full-strength spirit.
Pro Tip
Smell the bottle before you buy a second. Fruit spirits differ more by fruit and distiller than most spirits, and a producer’s strength is on the label.
Top Tips
- Read the label for the word liqueur. If it is there, the bottle is sweetened and will change the drink.
- Treat the bottle as a spirit at 40% or above, and count units at that strength.
- Keep it capped, away from sunlight.
Possible Substitutions
- Apricot Brandy: A liqueur: sweeter and lower in strength, so the drink moves towards sweet
- Brandy: Grape brandy at 40%: the strength without the apricot
Production Method
Apricots are fermented and distilled at under 86% ABV so that the fruit’s aroma and taste carry into the spirit. No alcohol is added and the spirit is not flavoured.
History & Context
The category dates from the spirit drinks regulation, which names apricot among the fruits whose spirit may be sold under the fruit’s name.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is apricot eau-de-vie?
How strong is apricot eau-de-vie?
Is apricot eau-de-vie the same as apricot brandy?
Can I use apricot brandy instead?
Does apricot eau-de-vie contain allergens?
How long does it keep once opened?
What is it used for in a drink?
Sources.
Correct as of 1 November 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (as retained in UK law)” (category 9, fruit spirit: fermentation and distillation of fruit only; under 86% ABV; apricot methanol limit 1,200 g/hl; minimum 37.5%; no added alcohol; not flavoured; sales name; category 32, liqueur: 15% minimum and 100g/L sugar).
- Rochelt, “Wachau Apricot” (producer page: Wachau apricots, 50% vol; read for strength only).
- NHS, “Calculating alcohol units” (units from ABV and volume; the 14-units-a-week guidance, spread over 3 or more days).
From the Guides
Made with Apricot Eau-de-Vie
Featured In These Cocktails
Often Used With
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 1 November 2026