Apfelkorn
A German apple-flavored schnapps liqueur.
Origin
Germany, introduced by the Berentzen distillery, which began blending its wheat spirit (Korn) with apple in the 1970s.
History
Apfelkorn grew out of a habit German students already had of cutting harsh, traditional Korn schnapps with apple juice to soften it. The Berentzen family distillery, which had been producing Korn since the 18th century, formalized that habit into a bottled product starting in 1976, blending its wheat spirit directly with apple, and the drink caught on quickly at German universities before becoming a mainstream liqueur. It was the first of what became a small wave of fruit-and-Korn liqueurs to hit the German market from the late 1970s onward.
Flavor profile
Sweet, straightforward apple flavor, closer to apple juice than to a drier apple brandy, over a mild grain-spirit base.
Tasting notes
Tastes almost exactly like sweetened apple juice with a light alcohol warmth behind it, rather than the drier, more brandy-like character of Calvados or applejack. Usually served chilled or over ice, straight or as a mixer.
Substitutes
- Apple brandy or Calvados, for a drier, more complex apple character in place of Apfelkorn's straightforward sweetness.
- Sour apple liqueur, for a similarly sweet, apple-candy profile.
- Apple juice with a splash of vodka, as a rough approximation when nothing apple-flavored and bottled is on hand.
Common cocktails