The German term Schnaps refers to any kind of strong alcoholic drink, similar to how eau de vie is used in French, aguardiente in Spanish, or aguardente Portuguese.
Fruit
In Austria, Switzerland, southern Germany, and the French region of Alsace, a type of schnapps called Obstler or Obstbrand is very popular. Obstler, which are fruit brandies, 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 German schnapps are apples, pears, plums, cherries, and apricots. Fruits other than these five are rarely used. Apples are used along with pears to make Obstwasser ; pears are used to produce Poire Williams ; several types of plums make ; cherries make Kirschwasser ; and apricots are used to make Austrian Marillenschnaps. 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. 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 cocktails. 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 1970's and 1980's. 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.
Neutral Spirit
Many liqueurs referred to as schnapps, but distinct from Obstler, are created by addition of herbal or fruit flavors to a neutral spirit by various methods. The neutral spirit used can vary by location and tradition. Kräuterlikör is similar to Italian Amaro. Well known brands include Jägermeister, Underberg, Kuemmerling, Killepitsch and Wurzelpeter. Himbeergeist is an infusion of macerated fresh berries in neutral spirits, which have been steeped for several weeks before being distilled.
American
An inexpensive heavily sweetened form of liqueur 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, though some may be much higher.
