Misdeeds with Schnapps

Redemption with Liqueurs

The other night I decided to take stock of the home liquor cabinet. I was curious to see what our house uses and what gathers dust. When my kids get older, what would they try to sneak an ounce of? Well surprisingly it won't be the apricot liqueur.

House renovation got you down? Juniper #3 to the rescue

I thought back to high school and sneaking things out of my parents' liquor cabinet - specifically bottles that had a decent layer of dust and were full (but not too full - the key to not getting caught).  Many not-great-decisions were made with Baileys, Kalhua and peach schnapps (fuzzy navel anyone?)  All things I originally tried by themselves and didn't realize that you needed to mix them with something else (who knew!) I think this is where my dislike for sweet drinks originated from.

Maturity

Anywho - back to 2018... I've realized I'm too old to drink shitty stuff.  Taste matters. Quality not quantity.  Moving the bottles around I took note of gin, rye, bourbon, sherry, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, Campari, Cynar, mezcal, tequila, rum, bitters and...apricot liqueur. Uhh - Apricot Liqueur?? I had bought a 750 ml bottle of Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur after having a Juniper #3 at Momofuku. When it came home with me I instantly thought that it would just take up space in the back of the cabinet, especially since it was purchased with only one, very specific cocktail in mind. Boy, was I wrong. This apricot liqueur tastes truly like ripe apricots without being cloyingly sweet. It combines apricot eau-de-vie with a fruit juice made from the famed Klosterneuburger apricots from Austria.

The Juniper #3,  by John deBary, has become a house favorite along with the Flor Jerez by Joaquin Simo of Death & Co. Try one or both. I think it will change your mind about fruity liqueurs and hopefully you can forgive your younger-naive-self for all your misdeeds with peach schnapps. 

Juniper #3 

1 oz. barrel aged gin (personal favorite is Hat Trick Barrel Rested Gin)

3/4 oz. Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur

1/2 oz. Campari

3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice (I tend to use a little less - personal preference)

Pinch of kosher salt

Yes, I know the Flor Jerez has six ingredients but it's completely worth it

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake and strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass or coupe.

Flor Jerez 
1/2 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve Rum (I'll be honest here - I use our house Black Seal Rum)
1.5 oz. Amontillado Sherry
1/4 oz. Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur
3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shake filled with ice.  Shake and strain into a chilled coupe.

Schnapps vs. Liqueurs

Last thing, while I was writing this, I realized I really didn't know what made a schnapps different from a liqueur. The word schnapps is actually of German origin meaning dram of liquor and low German/Dutch meaning mouthful. German schnapps is close to eau de vie of France, which is created by distilling fermented fruit and no extra sugar is added. Now what Americans think of schnapps is completely different. American schnapps is made with a neutral grain spirit and fruit flavoring is added along with sugar and glycerine to make it syrupy. So actually, American schnapps is a liqueur.  Fruit liqueurs are created by taking a neutral spirit and macerating fresh fruit in it and then adding a sweetener.

 by Nicola O'Neil