Doornkaat German Schnapps 750ml

Schnapps (or "schnaps" in Germany) is a name widely applied to a family of drinks comprised of German and international (usually American) schnapps - strongly alcoholic beverages generally produced from fruit juice or must.

A broad, but useful method of distinguishing the two is to think of German schnaps as a type of Eaux-de-Vie with higher alcohol levels than the more liqueur-style international schnapps (with more sugar).

In Germany, the word schnaps can refer to any strong, clear alcoholic beverage that is distilled from fermented fruit must. The name is not limited to the country and numerous other German-speaking countries and regions (Switzerland and Austria, for instance also regularly refer to eaux-de-vie as "schnaps").