When you say the word “schnapps,” you probably think you’re speaking a Yiddish codeword that nobody else in the wider culture recognizes as something meaningful. And you probably think it simply means a strong, dry brandy liquor, that usually goes with kichel, and is spelled properly, and means “liquor” or “spirits.” Amirite?
You’d be wrong.
It’s a German word, actually, and plenty of people know exactly what it means, though it means different things to Europeans and Americans.
To Europeans, it means any strong distilled spirit, is drunk straight out of the bottle, and refers to fruit brandies distilled from fresh fruit juices. To Americans, it’s made by steeping fruits in alcohol, is used in mixed drinks, and refers to a category of sweetened, fruit-flavored liqueurs. Plus a few more subtle differences.
To Europeans, it’s the hard, well-crafted stuff. To Americans, it’s the lower-quality, novelty cocktail-y stuff.
Also, in the original German, it’s spelled with one “p,” and the word actually refers to the “snap” of the strong spirits.
Don’t you feel enlightened? I do. Pass the Slivovitz and the herring.
