s,
sloes, and
Williams pears. 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 in Portuguese.
Obstler An
Obstler, or
Obstbrand (from the German
Obst, fruit and
Brand, brandy), is 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, northern Slovenia, southern Germany, and the culturally German regions of
Alsace and
Lorraine in modern-day France.
Obstler is 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
Obstbrände are
apples,
apricots,
cherries,
pears, plums (both
mirabelle and
purple plums), and
quinces. 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 region of Germany A
Geist (meaning "spirit" in German) is a type of
schnapps, similar to fruit brandy, that is created by infusing macerated fresh berries in
neutral spirits 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 6.0% sugar. The most common
Geist is
Himbeergeist, made from raspberries. Other common fruits are blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, currants, rowanberries, apricots, peaches, and sloes. It is consumed in a variety of ways, such as
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 1970s and 1980s. The leading brand is Archers, but some
large supermarkets 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. Well-known brands include
Jägermeister,
Underberg,
Kuemmerling,
Killepitsch, and
Wurzelpeter. ==American==