Fine à l’Eau is simply one part cognac and one to three parts water, served with the brandy in a small stemmed glass and the water, sometimes iced, on the side, to be added as desired. See cognac. The drink enjoyed broad popularity in French cafes from the end of the nineteenth century through the middle of the twentieth but has since been supplanted by other, less austere beverages. The name comes from fine champagne, a designation for cognac blended from eaux de vie from both the Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne regions.
By: David Wondrich