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Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:30 pmby crow
SchnappsThere's some confusion about what schnapps is, what cordials are, and what liqueurs are. This situation is exascerbated by some benign misuse in the commercial alcohol market, as well as regional interpretations that can be quite different. So while I can offer some technical definitions, don't go complaining to your local liquor store that some bottle or other is mislabeled...
For years I labored under the mistaken impression that "schnapps" was just another synonym for "liqueur." Indeed, more than once I've been asked what the technical difference between a schnapps and a liqueur really was, and not only could I not say, I couldn't find any books that could say, either. Finally, someone came along and gave me the real story. Many thanks to Albert Grimm for setting me straight.
In his own words, Schnapps, a German word, "is the generic term for all white (clear) brandies distilled from fermented fruits. True Schnapps has no sugar added and is definitely an aquired taste, particularly for nationalities not used to raw distillates." So schnappses 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. You will also hear the words eau de vie in the context of liqueurs. I believe (though I'm always happy to be corrected) that this is a French expression for an unsweetened fruit brandy, very similar in nature to Schnapps. It has come to be used to mean an unsweetened liqueur as well, probably because of the similarity of taste and texture. But the original meaning was most likely as a brandy. Anyway, most significantly, this means that the run-of-the-mill home liqueur maker will never be able to really capture the whole essence of many commercial schnappses. The chemistry just isn't there.
Now, this doesn't mean that you should throw your hands up and walk away from ever trying to make a decent copy of a true schnapps. Liqueurs do go a long way towards tasting like real schnapps, and can make some compelling tastes on their own. One of my original intents in making liqueurs was to copy peach schnapps. I can't make it perfect, but a simple peach liqueur with some strategic addition of glycerine can fool all but the most discriminating palates.
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Thu Aug 11, 2016 6:14 pmby Flinderspeakstill
So what happens when you make a schnapps from say, lemons, then add sugar syrup, what's it called then?
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Thu Aug 11, 2016 6:36 pmby Wobblyboot
Brandy is fruit aged on oak. Schnapps is American, fruit with sugar or glycerine added after to make more of a liqueur with neutral. German schnaps is always fruit with no added sugar or oak added. Same as Hungarian palinka. U are making "schnapps"
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Thu Aug 11, 2016 7:32 pmby Kenster
Wobbly, i dont think brandy is 'fruit aged on oak'.. the fruit has to ferment, then stilled then oaked.(maybe just misunderstood you)
Fruit on oak will sour.(decompose to vinegar)
Different European countries pride their brandies with their own specific choice of fruit.
eg. Croatian plum brandy (slivovitz) is just fermented plums, distilled...no top secret recipe. As i am sure other brandies use a specific fruit which they call schnapps..
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Thu Aug 11, 2016 7:53 pmby Wobblyboot
I'm lazy and hate typing.....as we are all distillers allegedly.....I skipped the obvious parts, and I'm drinking some mcrum which is very nice 8-} slivovitz, palinka, schnaps, the French shit is all basically the same, brandy is aged on oak tho which changes the flavour. Schnapps with 2 p's is an American thing with sugar added after its distilled. Schnaps is European with no sugar added at any stage and is clear.
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Thu Aug 11, 2016 8:22 pmby EziTasting
Hey WB,
My old man is German and if he hears (or reads you) saying that Schnapps is American and Schnaps is German he's going to Hi-5 you up the side of the face! :violence-smack:
Trust me when I tell you, Schnap(p)s is German! Some people just like to mess with the spelling and claim it!!!
That don't make it right!
My father used to collect apples, pears, plumbs and grapes (there'd be more but don't recall), squeeze the juice out for drinking (and for some added flavour for their Schnaps), then he'd hydrate the pulp and ferment it. Stilling is pretty much the same as anywhere.
The clear spirit was collected together (unsure about the fores, heads and tails) and standardised and bottled. For a difference they would add the fruits peel back into the bottles ...
Done!
Obstler - is like a fruit salad style Schnaps (love it!!) and is most often sold at 80%ABV :scared-eek:
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Thu Aug 11, 2016 8:38 pmby Wobblyboot
EziTasting wrote:Hey WB,
My old man is German and if he hears (or reads you) saying that Schnapps is American and Schnaps is German he's going to Hi-5 you up the side of the face! :violence-smack:
Trust me when I tell you, Schnap(p)s is German! Some people just like to mess with the spelling and claim it!!!
That don't make it right!
My father used to collect apples, pears, plumbs and grapes (there'd be more but don't recall), squeeze the juice out for drinking (and for some added flavour for their Schnaps), then he'd hydrate the pulp and ferment it. Stilling is pretty much the same as anywhere.
The clear spirit was collected together (unsure about the fores, heads and tails) and standardised and bottled. For a difference they would add the fruits peel back into the bottles ...
Done!
Obstler - is like a fruit salad style Schnaps (love it!!) and is most often sold at 80%ABV :scared-eek:
Im always happy to be corrected when I'm wrong....which is the German spelling of it?
And can u get a detailed recipe for it?
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Thu Aug 11, 2016 9:02 pmby Wobblyboot
The recipe for Obstler I mean?
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Thu Aug 11, 2016 11:02 pmby EziTasting
Wobblyboot wrote:The recipe for Obstler I mean?
Haha, when I know, you'll know.
We've only ever bought it (I was a kid) - cheese fondue (yum) needs a powerful alcohol in order to digest the cheese!!
Essentially Schnaps is like Grappa is like Sligovitz (?spelling?) - seasonal fruit that couldn't be sold or wasn't sold and so it was 'converted' ( :laughing-rolling: ) into something useful specific to the different regions/countries. So foundations came from farming and continued on as everyone in Europe has fruit trees in their back yard (if you don't live in high rises!)...
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Fri Aug 12, 2016 2:39 pmby Flinderspeakstill
So, if I make grappa, then age it in oak, is it still Grappa or is it now Brandy? :?
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Fri Aug 12, 2016 3:44 pmby EziTasting
Flinderspeakstill wrote:So, if I make grappa, then age it in oak, is it still Grappa or is it now Brandy? :?
~x( ~x( ~x( ~x(
My limited understanding is that Brandy is a single distilled wine. Cognac is double distilled wine ... and both are aged on oak ... :liar: ??
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Fri Aug 12, 2016 3:52 pmby WTDist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Italian alcoholic beverage. For other uses, see Grappa (disambiguation).
A glass of grappa
Grappa is an alcoholic beverage, a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 US proof).
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Fri Aug 12, 2016 9:11 pmby Woodsy71
From Commonsense.com/likeitfarkinmatters
Make some booze that tastes good.
Then call it whatever you want.
Then drink and enjoy!!
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Sat Aug 13, 2016 10:10 amby maddogpearse
EziTasting wrote:Flinderspeakstill wrote:So, if I make grappa, then age it in oak, is it still Grappa or is it now Brandy? :?
~x( ~x( ~x( ~x(
My limited understanding is that Brandy is a single distilled wine. Cognac is double distilled wine ... and both are aged on oak ... :liar: ??
Pretty sure cognac is just brandy made from persific grapes and made in a particular region of france.
According to my wog mate murky mick, grappa is fermented from the grape mark.
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Sat Aug 13, 2016 10:51 amby Nino
maddogpearse wrote:EziTasting wrote:Flinderspeakstill wrote:So, if I make grappa, then age it in oak, is it still Grappa or is it now Brandy? :?
~x( ~x( ~x( ~x(
My limited understanding is that Brandy is a single distilled wine. Cognac is double distilled wine ... and both are aged on oak ... :liar: ??
Pretty sure cognac is just brandy made from persific grapes and made in a particular region of france.
According to my wog mate murky mick, grappa is fermented from the grape mark.
Yep :text-+1: alot of work for very little return but if it is done right it is wonderful :). Just the thing to warm you up on a cold winters morning.
Re: Definitions of fruit spirits
Posted:
Sat Aug 13, 2016 10:51 amby EziTasting
YouTube of How Cognac is made.
You know it's trustworthy because they've used real French people!!!
:laughing-rolling: