Schnapps - what kind of drink is this?

Schnapps is so popular in Germany that the Germans consider it a national drink and are respected no less than French cognac, and Russian vodka. Schnapps - what kind of drink and how to drink it right? Let's talk about it in the article.

What is schnapps?

Schnapps is a strong alcoholic beverage, which is obtained by distilling brags from fruits or grains, without the use of any additives. Its basis can be pears, apples, strawberries, bananas, grapes, peaches and other fruits. According to the classic recipe, schnapps are made from potatoes or grains and various spicy herbs. The taste of this drink varies from very bitter to very sweet. The fortress is usually not higher than 38-40 degrees.

A bit of history

Unlike some alcoholic beverages, snapsa, let's say, does not have one homeland. It approximately at the same time appeared in Austria, Germany and other Scandinavian countries. That's why you can safely say about schnapps, that this is a Nordic national drink. However, the real Austrian schnapps are little known to the world, as its Austrians produce in small quantities and only for their own use.

With Old Norse "snaps" ("snapper") means "to drink at a gulp". The first mention of this beautiful drink dates back to the 15th century. Producing schnapps distilleries appeared on the territory of modern Germany and Austria around the 16th - early 17th centuries. Initially, schnapps was exclusively a medicinal product that was used to treat almost all diseases, in the Middle Ages it was believed that this drink has a rejuvenating effect on the body. But soon Schnapps became a famous fast-paced alcoholic drink, but they drank it only in order to have fun (how to drink schnapps, will be described below).

Production technology

In the production of this classic schnapps, sugar, dyes, flavors are not used. For alcohol use a variety of raw materials, but most often the main source of products are wild berries and a variety of juicy fruits. However, classic schnapps are also very popular among fans of alcoholic beverages, and among discerning experts. Each large and serious manufacturer of snaps has a staff of reliable, highly qualified pickers of wild berries, who know the places where the best fruits grow.

Producers in the process of making schnapps invest a huge amount of love and work. The berries are not only harvested, but processed solely by hand. After they spontaneously ferment for several months. Then the prepared brew is subjected to double distillation in specially designed copper cubes. As a rule, schnapps can not stand in oak barrels, as is customary for many alcoholic beverages, but they are immediately poured into glass bottles, in which it is sold.

Varieties of the drink

So, schnapps, what kind of drink and how it is produced, we found out. However, one should know that there are a lot of varieties of schnapps. Only about 30 species are known. Therefore, everyone can choose schnapps according to their taste. In the production of a drink, unique methods of preparation are used each time. There are no analogues of schnapps, therefore it is simply impossible to convey its flavor and taste or compare it with any other alcoholic beverage.

The most popular types of schnapps are:

• Peach schnapps;

• "Rumple Minze" (mint);

• "Kirschwasser" (cherry);

• "Zwetschke" (from the wild plum);

• "Schladerer Williams-Birne" (pear);

• "Obstler" (a mixture of pear and apple alcohols);

• "Adilitzbeere" (based on the fruits of the mountain ash).

Very interesting and unusual look has a pear schnapps with a whole pear in the bottle. However, this only at first sight seems surprising and impossible. In fact, everything is simple enough, albeit laborious - in about the middle of May the ovary of a pear fruit is placed in a bottle tied to a branch. In a transparent bottle, the pear ripens in the usual way. At the end of August, together with the container, the pear is separated from the branch, carefully washed and poured with alcohol based on pears.

How to drink schnapps?

What kind of drink, most of us still know, but that's how to use it correctly, not everyone knows. To serve such alcohol it is accepted in the rounded wine glasses of a cognac form of the small size. Portion should not be more than 20 grams. In the glass put a small pear or a piece of apricot. Also, to a glass with a drink must be attached a small size fork to catch the floating in schnapps fruit, inhale its fragrance, after drinking the contents and eat this fruit. Schnapps can serve as an aperitif, accompany dishes, or be a digestive, which facilitates the digestion of fatty foods. Traditional snacks for the drink are Bavarian sausages, but you can also serve herring or even crayfish. Some connoisseurs drink schnapps with beer. This is not quite the usual combination of drinks in Hamburg called "lute-on-lute", in Hanover - "lute-lag". If alcohol seems too strong for you, dilute it with freshly squeezed fruit juices or water.

Finally

Before you buy a bottle of such alcohol, carefully examine the etiquette, there is a risk of buying a drink of inadequate quality. With poor cleaning, it can contain aldehydes and fusel oils, which can cause harm to the body far more serious than alcohol itself. Remember, this schnapps is produced exclusively in the factory in Germany or its surroundings. Well, you learned about what a snaps is from this article.