Schnapps which is a German word, is the
generic term for all white or clear brandies distilled from fermented fruits. A
true rated Schnapps has no sugar added and is definitely an acquired taste,
particularly for nationalities not used to raw distillates. In Austria,
Switzerland, Germany and the French region of Alsace, schnapps, edelbrande
or brand (as in brandy), is another thing entirely. The French term is eaux de
vie, among my favorite spirits categories and the supreme example of distilled
fruits. Schnapps are different from liqueurs on two major fronts, they being
both fermented and distilled, where liqueurs are simply fruits steeped in an
alcohol which has already been fermented and distilled. In Germany, Schnapps
refers to any strong liquor so you’ll need to narrow down your search. The
schnapps you’re probably seeking is one of the popular Obstler or fruit
schnapps varieties. The most popular fruit schnapps in Germany are pear, apple,
cherry, plum, and apricot. They are often imbibed before or after meals or even
between courses to cleanse the pallet and aid in digestion. Once the base
liquor is selected, the producer begins his or her chosen method to extract
flavor compounds from the component ingredients. Producers can either make a
single liqueur that contains all the components, or multiple liqueurs that can
be blended to create the desired flavor profile but shaping a liqueur’s taste
profile gets complicated. Factors like heat, time, barometric pressure,
humidity, proof of base liquor and others can impact what flavor compounds are
absorbed by the base liquor. If you’re extracting mint, you heat the mint to
get the grassier, earthier notes. If you do a cold extraction, you get menthol,
which is what we think of as mint. Menthol is destroyed by heat, so you don’t
get as much minty flavor if it’s heated. Though using water as a base might be
cheaper, it would yield a completely different result. Some flavor molecules
are soluble in alcohol but not in water and vice versa. With alcohol, you get
different chemical reactions, so you get different flavors coming through. To
complicate matters further, some liqueurs’ flavor profiles will change as they
age. The amount of oxygen in the bottle and its exposure to UV light can radically
alter the taste compounds in a given liqueur. “UV light can break down flavor
and taste compounds and change them negatively and positively.
Another popular German schnapps is “Kräuterlikör”
or also known as herbal liqueur. Some brands of Kräuterlikör that you may have
known of are Jägermeister, Kuemmerling, and Killepitsch. These liqueurs are
made with dozens of herbs and spices and aged usually for at least one year.
They were originally used as medicine for a variety of ailments. Schnapps might
not be the most popular option when it comes to booze, but it's still better than
not having any at all. Keep in mind that schnapps is not necessarily
interchangeable with other clear liquors when making your favorite cocktails.
