Schnapps ( or ) or schnaps is a type of

alcoholic beverage An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...

s, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to

neutral grain spirits Rectified spirit, also known as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, is highly concentrated ethanol that has been purified by means of repeated distillation in a process called rectification. In some countri ...

. The English loanword "schnapps" is derived from the colloquial German word ''Schnaps'' (plural: ''Schnäpse''), which is used in reference to

spirit drinks Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

. The word ''Schnaps'' stems from

Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...

and is related to the German term "''schnappen''", meaning "snap", which refers to the spirit usually being consumed in a quick slug from a small glass (i.e., a shot glass).

European

The German term ''Schnaps'' refers to "any kind of strong, dry spirit", similar to how '' eau de vie'' (water of life) is used in French, '' aguardiente'' (burning water) in Spanish, or '' aguardente'' Portuguese.

''Obstler''

''Obstler'', or ''Obstbrand'' (from the German ''Obst'', fruit), are a traditional type of schnaps made by fermenting macerated fruit and distilling to produce a clear, unsweetened fruit brandy. ''Obstler'' is traditionally produced in Austria, Switzerland, southern Germany, and the culturally German regions of Alsace and Lorraine in modern-day France. ''Obstler'' are mainly associated with the southern part of the German-language area; in northern Germany, almost all traditional distilled beverages are grain-based. The main kinds of fruit used for ''Obstler'' are apples,

apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''. Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...

cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...

, pears, plums (both mirabelle and purple plums), and

quince The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits) of the Rosaceae family (biology), family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard ...

s. Fruits other than these are rarely used. Apples together with pears produce ''Obstwasser'' (fruit water); pears are used to produce ''Birnenbrand''; when made from the Williams pear, it is known as Poire Williams or ''Williamsbrand''. Several types of plums make ' ("plum water"); cherries make '' kirschwasser'' ("cherry water"); and apricots are used to make Austrian '' Marillenschnaps'' (apricot brandy). The different kinds of ''Obstler'' are similar to the varieties of '' Rakija'' found in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Slivovitz is a popular schnapps made from Damson plums found throughout the region; pálinka is a traditional distilled beverage made of any fruits grown in Hungary.

''Geist''

A ''

Geist ''Geist'' () is a German noun with a significant degree of importance in German philosophy. Its semantic field corresponds to English ghost, spirit, mind, intellect. Some English translators resort to using "spirit/mind" or "spirit (mind)" to he ...

'' §16, §17 (meaning "spirit" in German) is a type of ''schnaps'', similar to fruit brandy, that is created by infusing macerated fresh berries in

neutral spirits Rectified spirit, also known as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, is highly concentrated ethanol that has been purified by means of repeated distillation in a process called rectification. In some countr ...

and steeping for some time before distillation. Neutral alcohol is necessary because many berries have a sugar content that is too low to economically ferment and distill; raspberries for instance contain between 4.5 and 6 percent sugar. The most common ''

'' is ''

Himbeergeist Himbeergeist (''lit'' "raspberry spirit", also known as raspberry spirit obtained by maceration and distillation, eau de vie de framboise or simply framboise) is a geist (type of fruit brandy or '' Schnapps'') made from raspberries. It is pro ...

'', made from raspberries. Other common fruits are blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, currants, rowanberries, apricots, peaches, and sloes. Other flavorings are also possible, such as nuts, herbs, or rose petals.

Liqueur

Many liqueurs referred to as schnapps, but distinct from fruit brandies, are created by the addition of herbal or fruit flavors to a neutral spirit by various methods. The neutral spirit used can vary by location and tradition. The most popular schnapps in the UK is peach schnapps. It can be enjoyed in many ways, most prefer it on the rocks or mixed with other drinks to form a variety of

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...

s. It is made by adding peach flavouring to a neutral grain spirit. It is typically clear and has a strong sweet taste. It became popular in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s. The leading brand is Archers, but some large supermarkets do have their own branded peach schnapps, which is sold at a reduced price. Archers peach schnapps is more similar to the American style of schnapps. '' Kräuterlikör'' (herbal liqueur) is similar to Italian Amaro (liqueur). Well known brands include Jägermeister, Underberg, Kuemmerling, Killepitsch and Wurzelpeter.

American

An inexpensive heavily sweetened form of

is made in America by mixing neutral grain spirit with fruit syrup, spices, or other flavors. Referred to as "schnapps", these are bottled with an alcohol content typically between 15% and 20% ABV (30–40 proof), though some may be much higher. Schnapps, specifically peach and peppermint schnapps, exploded in popularity in America in the 1980s.

References

External links

* {{Alcoholic beverages German distilled drinks