Schnapps made from fruit, nuts and herbs: Branded spirits and distilled spirits

Schnapps is the everyday term for clear, high-proof spirits, and the two classic ways of making them are branded spirits and distilled spirits. A fruit brandy is made from fermented fruit, while a distilled spirit is made from unfermented fruit, nuts or herbs that are macerated in alcohol and then distilled. In this category you will find both, branded by small-scale distillers in Baden-Württemberg, at the inn on the Swabian Alb and in a Berlin distillery.

Branded spirit or distilled spirit? The difference lies in the fermentation

Fruit brandy: mash first, then still

For a fruit brandy, ripe fruit is crushed and fermented, with yeast converting its sugar into alcohol. This mash is placed in the still, where alcohol and aromas evaporate and are collected as distillate. According to EU spirit regulations, a fruit brandy may only be made by fermenting and distilling fresh fruit or its must, must be distilled at less than 86% ABV and bottled at at least 37.5% ABV. For this to work, the fruit needs enough of its own sugar – apples, pears, damson plums and cherries are well suited. If the brandy is then aged in a wooden barrel, it will acquire colour and woody notes.

Distilled spirit: macerate, steep, distill

With a distilled spirit, nothing is fermented. The raw materials are macerated in agricultural alcohol, release their aromas and are then distilled together, also at less than 86% ABV and with at least 37.5% ABV in the finished product. This is the method for anything that contains little sugar: raspberries, nuts, herbs, citrus peels or even wood. A distilled spirit therefore tastes distinctly of its raw material, but often tastes lighter than a brandy made from fermented fruit.

What is in our bottles

Our bestseller is the Nadelwald Fichtengeist by STILVOL. from Laupheim, branded by a small-scale distiller in Baden-Württemberg: Planed spruce wood and spruce needles are macerated in alcohol and distilled. Clear, sweet and woody, with 38% ABV, it evokes walks in the forest and the sauna – the German answer to Swiss pine schnapps. From the same distillery comes the Gartenkräuter Rosmaringeist made from German rosemary, spicy, clear and full-bodied at 40% ABV.

The Deutsche Spirituosen Manufaktur in Berlin bottles its distilled spirits at 42% ABV in apothecary bottles. For the blood orange spirit No. 125, peel and juice from Tarocco oranges from Ribera on Sicily are macerated in alcohol, while the Haselnussgeist No. 400 uses roasted nuts from an organic farmer in Piedmont. If you want to discover the full range, try the DSM Tastingbox with 24 x 10 ml bottles.

Genuine fruit brandies come from the Manufaktur Jörg Geiger in Schlat, branded at the Gasthof Lamm. The Apfelbrand im Kastanienfass combines ripe apples with fresh woody notes, while the Nägelesbirne Birnenbrand made from an old variety of quince pear offers notes of dried pear, tonka bean and citrus. For the Johannisbeere im Madeirafass, the Läpple family from Hattenhofen supplies blackcurrants, and the brandy is aged for at least three years in a Madeira barrel, tasting of dark berries, spicy and long-lasting. All three are 42% ABV and come in a decorative box.

How to serve brandies and distilled spirits

Clear brandies and distilled spirits taste best at room temperature; they taste flat when taken straight from the freezer. A tulip-shaped nosing glass concentrates the aroma, so you can clearly smell pear, coniferous wood or roasted nuts. After a Sunday roast, the pear brandy is a perfect digestif, while the apple brandy from the chestnut barrel pairs well with baked apples and apple strudel. A touch of blood orange spirit over a dessert with chocolate or orange adds aroma without sweetness. If you prefer something lighter, mix: spruce spirit with tonic makes a spruce tonic, and rosemary spirit with dry sparkling wine makes a rosemary spritz.

What to look for when buying

• Branded spirit or distilled spirit: Brandies taste of ripe, fermented fruit, while distilled spirits taste more distinctly of their raw material. The designation is shown on the label.
• Alcohol content: Fruit brandy and distilled spirits contain at least 37.5% ABV; ours range from 38 to 42% ABV.
• Clear or barrel-aged: Wooden barrels add colour and spice, while clear spirits reveal the pure fruit.
• For discovering: The tasting box with 24 bottles is also an Advent calendar for adults.
• Storage: Store upright, in a dark place and at room temperature. Once opened, schnapps keeps for a long time; if the bottle is only half full, the aroma will gradually fade.
• Age restrictions: Only available to persons aged 18 or over.

More from our spirits

Brandies and distilled spirits are part of our spirits. Instead of fruit, you will find grain in our grain spirits, from smoky Doppelkorn to aged grain spirits from cognac barrels. If you prefer something sweeter and milder, browse our liqueurs, which include hazelnut, raspberry and herbal liqueurs. Mild nut and fruit spirits such as the hazelnut schnapps or the fruit-based Williams Goldene Birne can be found under Other Spirits.

Order brandies and distilled spirits online

Whether it is fruit brandy to finish a festive meal, spruce spirit as a gift or the tasting box for an evening with friends: order schnapps online from Leni & Hans, and your parcel will arrive in 1–3 days.