Schnapps

For the alcoholic drink taken with a meal in Denmark and Sweden, see Snaps.

Schnapps
TypeLiqueur
Alcohol by volume 60–80 proof (30–40 vol-%)
ColourClear
FlavourTypically raspberry, apple, pear, plum, cherry, peach, or apricot

Schnapps (/ʃnɑːps/ or /ʃnæps/) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies,[1] herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neutral grain spirits.

The English loanword "schnapps" is derived from the colloquial German word Schnaps [ʃnaps] ⓘ (plural: Schnäpse),[2][3] which is used in reference to spirit drinks.[4] The word Schnaps stems from Low German 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).[5]

  1. ^ "schnapps - Definition of schnapps in US English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  2. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2011. p. 1562. ISBN 978-0-547-04101-8.
  3. ^ Wahrig: Deutsches Wörterbuch (Munich: Bertelsmann, 2006). See Branntwein at p. 298 and Schnaps at p. 1305.
  4. ^ "Duden | Schnaps | Rechtschreibung, Bedeutung, Definition, Herkunft" [Definition of Schnaps in German]. Duden German Dictionary (in German). Bibliographisches Institut GmbH. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  5. ^ Kluge: Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 23., erweiterte Auflage (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1999), 734.