Eaux-de-vie: this clear fruit brandy can be enjoyed both before and after dinner.

Good taste is never out of fashion. In the greedy '80s, the nicer '90s, and throughout the past decades and centuries, people with good taste have always appreciated eaux-de-vie - those clear, exquisitely perfumed fruit brandies. Their aroma is scented by the fruit that made them; their texture is silky and gossamer; and their aftertaste is long and evocative. It's easy to understand why eaux-de-vie translates to "waters of life." It's equally easy to understand why eaux-de-vie are considered some of the world's most elegant drinks.

The eaux-de-vie we know today were first created by the medieval monks who transformed wild fruits into pure, fresh, fruit-flavored brandies. Today, this legacy continues in France, Switzerland and Germany, and more recently, on America's West Coast.

All fine eaux-de-vie begin with the choicest fruit, hand-picked at the moment of ripeness. The fruits are mashed and fermented and then distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills that render a clear, intense spirit. After distillation, the new eaux-de-vie rest a few months to become mellower, smoother and rounder, while developing a complex, many-faceted character. It takes about 20 pounds of fruit to make one bottle of eau-de-vie.

The fruits used today are much the same varieties used by the medieval monks. Among the most popular are framboise (raspberry), mirabelle (yellow plum), prunelle (blackthorn or sloe plum) and poire Williams (Bartlett pear). The most fascinating is the poire Williams eau-de-vie known as poire prisonniere. Unlike other eaux-de-vie (including the regular bottling of poire Williams) in which the essence of the fruit is captured, poire prisonniere captures the fruit itself. How? Early in the growing season, when the pears are just forming on the trees, glass bottles are tied over some of the most promising buds. The pear grows inside the bottle, and when it is ripe, it is cut from the tree-still in the bottle. Both bottle and pear are washed and pear brandy is added. The whole pear is in the bottle you buy, its beauty and flavor completely intact.

Traditionally, eaux-de-vie are served as clean, dry, well-defined aperitifs, or later as refreshing, finishing touches to an evening. Enjoy them well-chilled and serve them in brandy snifters that will concentrate their intense fruit aromas. Inhale their pure, richly perfumed bouquet, slowly sip their clean, striking flavors. But the charm of eaux-de-vie need not be limited to before and after dinner. Fruit brandies can be a chic substitute for vodka in mixed drinks and an innovative twist with fruit juices or club soda.

To make a MIRABELLE TONIC, for example, fill a tall glass with ice cubes, pour in 2 ounces of mirabelle eau-de-vie and fill the glass with tonic. Add a twist of orange. For an ALSATIAN CAPE CODDER, fill a tall glass with ice cubes, pour in 1 1/2 ounces of framboise eau-de-vie, 3 ounces cranberry juice and the juice of half an orange or lime. Stir and serve. Or for a larger crowd, make a FRENCH PUNCH, by placing a block of ice in a punch bowl. Combine one bottle of framboise, mirabelle, prunelle, poire Williams or another eau-de-vie, 3 ounces of grenadine and 1 pint of orange juice. Just before serving, add 1 quart of tonic water and fruit and berries, cut into bite-sized pieces. The recipe makes 10 to 15 cups.

The makers of fine eaux-de-vie are a dedicated lot. They have to be. Beginning with the highest quality fruit to the fermentation and then distillation process, the creating of eaux-de-vie is a special art. Among those who practice it to near perfection are Massenez, Dettling Kirschwasser, Jean Danflou and Trimbach in Europe; and Clear Creek and Marichelle in Oregon, a state known for its beautiful fruits and berries.

Prices for both American and European eaux-de-vie range from $28 to $36 per bottle. Poire Williams Prisonniere, or pear-in-the-bottle, costs considerably more, often $50 to $54 per bottle. But then, fine art always has its price.