Poire Williams is an eau-de-vie, distilled from the Williams Bon Chrétien variety of pears, known as Bartlett in the United States. Made by fermenting crushed fruit and then distilling it in a pot or hybrid still to a relatively low strength, this eau-de-vie is usually colorless, aromatically rich, and distinctive. Produced mainly in Alsace, France, and Switzerland, it requires anywhere between 20 and 60 pounds of pears to make one liter; the spirit is aged in glass or stainless steel containers, for as long as ten years before bottling, with a few brands employing oak as well. Generally bottled between 35 and 45 percent ABV, Poire Williams is sometimes sold with a whole pear inside the bottle, a packaging style known as “prisonnière,” accomplished by attaching bottles to fruit buds in the spring and allowing the fruit to grow inside.
See also eau-de-vie.
By: Jack Robertiello