Schnapps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neutral grain. The word "schnapps" is derived from the colloquial German word Schnaps, which is used in reference to spirit drinks. The German term Schnaps refers to "any kind of strong, dry spirit", similar to how eau de vie (water of life) is used in French, aguardiente (burning water) in Spanish, or aguardente in Portuguese.

There are two different styles of schnapps: European schnapps and North American schnapps. European schnapps are made by fermenting fruit juices and the base liquor, resulting in fruit brandies or eau de vie, which are clear, distilled spirits. They are often drunk straight and come in various flavors. North American schnapps, on the other hand, are sweetened liqueurs ranging in flavor from fruits like apples to butterscotch, peppermint, and root beer. They are often made by mixing neutral grain spirit with fruit syrup, spices, or other flavors. North American schnapps are best reserved for mixed drinks.

In summary, schnapps is a type of alcoholic beverage that can take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and flavored liqueurs. The word "schnapps" is derived from the German word Schnaps, which refers to spirit drinks. There are two different styles of schnapps: European schnapps, which are clear, distilled spirits made by fermenting fruit juices and the base liquor, and North American schnapps, which are sweetened liqueurs ranging in flavor from fruits to butterscotch, peppermint, and root beer.