Fruit Schnapps

Fruit schnapps is an American-style liqueur made by flavoring and sweetening neutral spirit with a single fruit flavor. It is much sweeter than vodka and usually lower in alcohol. DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker, DeKuyper Watermelon Pucker and 99 Apples Schnapps are classic examples for shots and mixed drinks.

Shake two ounces of vodka with one ounce of DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker and a quarter ounce of fresh lemon juice over ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a thin apple slice. For a sweeter, rounder version, use 99 Apples Schnapps instead of the Pucker.

Lemon-lime soda, soda water, cranberry juice, orange juice and pineapple juice all work. Try DeKuyper Island Punch Pucker with pineapple juice, or Dr. McGillicuddy's Wild Grape with lemonade over ice. Start with an ounce of schnapps per drink and adjust to taste, since it is already sweet.

Fruit schnapps is a type of liqueur, but the American style is simpler: neutral spirit, sugar and one bright fruit flavor, made for shots and highballs. Fruit liqueurs such as crème de cassis or maraschino are usually built by steeping or distilling real fruit. 99 Bananas Schnapps and DeKuyper Razzmatazz are classic schnapps examples.