Fang die Nuss Hazelnut Schnäpschen. Hazelnut spirit based on grain spirit made from roasted nuts, 36% ABV, 500 ml – from Munich.

Fang die Nuss Hazelnut Schnäpschen is a hazelnut spirit from Munich: whole, freshly roasted hazelnuts from regional cultivation, macerated in grain spirit, 36% ABV, 500 ml in an apothecary bottle. Not a sweet liqueur, not a harsh fruit brandy, not a flavor concentrate – a robust nut schnapps with roasted notes that remains dry and warm on the finish.

Hazelnut Schnäpschen by Fang die Nuss is what the manufacturer calls the Bavarian alternative: for anyone who finds a nut liqueur too sweet and a fruit brandy too aggressive. A hazelnut spirit is created here in two steps. First, the hazelnuts are gently roasted – according to Fang die Nuss, this is the most important flavor step because it is the heat that coaxes the nougat and caramel notes out of the nut. Then, the whole nuts are steeped in grain spirit until they have released their roasted aroma. The result tastes of roasted hazelnut, with 36% ABV and the slight sweetness brought by the grain spirit. Imagine the evening after a long meal: the plates have been cleared, someone brings the shot glasses out of the cabinet. And instead of a burning fruit brandy, there is a schnapps on the table that smells like nut cake.

Roasted hazelnut immediately on the nose, robust on the palate, dry on the finish

The nose immediately shows roasted hazelnut, followed by vanilla and caramel. On the palate, the schnapps is powerfully nutty, with a slightly sweet note from the grain spirit. The finish remains dry and warm – the sharp burn of a fruit brandy is absent, as Fang die Nuss emphasizes. Milder than a sharp grain spirit, is how the manufacturer classifies their schnapps.

With 36% ABV, the schnapps is the most robust hazelnut product in the Fang die Nuss range. The sweetness remains subtle and complements the nut instead of overpowering it; those looking for a soft, caramelly dessert character will find the Hazelnut Liqueur with 18% ABV to be the right choice. According to the manufacturer, the schnapps is vegan, lactose-free, and gluten-free, and contains no artificial flavors. Regarding labeling: it contains hazelnuts, i.e., tree nuts.

As a digestif in a shot glass, on ice, in an Espresso Martini, and in yeast dough

Straight as a digestif, the manufacturer recommends 2 cl in a shot glass, slightly chilled. This fits perfectly after a roast, after nut cake, or after cheese. On ice, use 4 cl in a tumbler with a large ice cube. It is a spirit with 36% ABV; sale is only permitted to persons aged 18 and over.

At the bar, the 36% ABV schnapps also holds its own in mixed drinks. Two recipes from Fang die Nuss: For an Espresso Hazelnut Martini, shake 4 cl of schnapps, 3 cl of espresso, and 2 cl of coffee liqueur over ice. For a Hazelnut Sour, add 5 cl of schnapps, 3 cl of lemon juice, 1 cl of sugar syrup, and one egg white first to a dry shake, then over ice. A splash in coffee or mulled wine works just as well. And in the bakery, the schnapps takes over the role usually held by rum: 2–4 cl in Black Forest cake, chocolate mousse, yeast dough, or chocolate and marzipan pastries.

Store the bottle in a cool, dark place; after opening, the manufacturer recommends consuming the schnapps within twelve months.

Our tip: Place the schnapps next to the nut cake during afternoon coffee – 2 cl slightly chilled in a shot glass, accompanied by an espresso. Roasted note meets roasted note, and suddenly the cake tastes twice as much like hazelnut.

Liqueur or schnapps – since 2020, Munich has offered both

Fang die Nuss is a Munich brand created by Falk and Mike, two entrepreneurs from the event and catering business. Guests at weddings, birthdays, and company parties kept asking for a recommended hazelnut spirit – and the available options consisted of either expensive noble spirits or very sweet Italian liqueurs. Working with their kitchen team, the two developed their own recipe, refined based on feedback from catering guests. Because the question of liqueur vs. schnapps remained open, both have been available since 2020: the liqueur with 18% ABV and the schnapps with 36% ABV.

The schnapps is produced in a small Upper Bavarian craft distillery in small batches; the liqueur and schnapps come from the same distillery. According to the manufacturer, the hazelnuts are sourced from regional cultivation and are freshly roasted before maceration. Hazelnut spirits have a long tradition in Alpine regions, Fang die Nuss writes in its blog – from Italy to South Tyrol to Austria. The schnapps is the Bavarian version: based on grain spirit instead of fruit.

The squirrel on the label has a reason. "Tested by local squirrels" is the brand's slogan, and according to the manufacturer, for every bottle sold, a donation is made to the Eichhörnchen Notruf e. V. (Squirrel Emergency Call), which cares for injured and orphaned squirrels. Fang die Nuss explains the logic behind it: no squirrels, no hazelnuts.

For those who find nut liqueur too sweet, and as a souvenir from Munich

The Hazelnut Schnäpschen is the bottle for anyone who finds fruit brandies too sharp and nut liqueurs too sweet. It is something dry with character for the shot glass: after Sunday roast, next to an espresso in the afternoon, and at the home bar for sours and martinis. The softer variant is the Hazelnut Liqueur, and the more tart version is the Walnut Liqueur with 30% ABV. You can find all three bottles on our Fang die Nuss page.

In an apothecary bottle featuring a squirrel, it makes a great gift for hosts, for a father-in-law who enjoys fruit brandy, and for anyone who loves hazelnut in any form. The schnapps is not suitable for anyone with an allergy to tree nuts, nor for those expecting a sweet liqueur to pour over ice cream – this is a schnapps with 36% ABV, made for the small glass.

Whole roasted hazelnuts in grain spirit, 36% ABV, from an Upper Bavarian craft distillery – the hazelnut spirit by Fang die Nuss for a post-meal shot and the Espresso Martini.