A guide to Peach Schnapps

By Timo Torner / Last updated on March 21, 2023

Peach Schnapps is a clear and peach-flavored liqueur that brings sweet and fruity flavors into cocktails.
What is Peach Schnapps?

Peach Schnapps is a peach-flavored liqueur that generally contains around 20% alcohol. It's often based on a neutral (grain) spirit but sweetened with sugar and flavored with peaches.

It can be served as a shot, but in most cases, it's an ingredient in sweet and fruity drinks with saucy names like the Sex on the Beach, the Missionary's Downfall, and the Fuzzy Naval.

Generally, Peach Schnapps tends to overpower other ingredients in mixed drinks, so use it with caution.

Fact sheet

Category: Fruit liqueur
Base Spirit: Neutral (grain) spirit
Origin: Netherlands
Producer: DeKuyper and other brands
ABV: 15% to 20%
Flavor: Peach
Price: between $10 and $12

Peaches

Peaches belong to the family of stone fruits. Other fruits in this family are apricots, nectarines, and cherries, all linked by their relatively large pit inside.

Peaches with stone

In general, peaches are quite sweet and juicy. They're often used in desserts or to flavor sweets and ice cream.

In the world of liqueurs and spirits, peaches are not only used in Schnapps but also in peach-flavored fruit brandies (ABV generally between 35% to 40%). In rare cases, they are even used to produce wine.

More about the term Schnapps

The term Schnapps is a generic term that refers to an alcoholic beverage. It's the English version of the German Schnaps

However, while Schnaps in Germany means a clear, see-through, high-proof spirit of 35% to 40% of alcohol, the English Schnapps stands for a heavily sweetened and flavored liqueur of medium alcohol content (15% to 20%). 

So basically, the terms Peach Schnapps and Peach liqueur can be used synonymously. 

Popular Peach Schnapps brands

DeKuyper is by far the most famous brand to produce Peach Schnapps. The brand was the one that started the hype about Peach Schnapps when they launched the product called Peachtree back in 1984.

DeKuyper Peachtree - most famous Peach Schnapps

Peach Schnapps quickly became the best-selling Schnapps in the US. And as the liqueur became increasingly established, other brands followed suit.

Today, the peach liqueur is also produced by Berentzen, Archers, Charles Regnier, and Leroux. But none of these brands has comparable sales figures to DeKuyper's Peachtree.

Make Peach Liqueur at home

Making Peach Schnapps at home is quite easy. All you need is some fresh peaches, sugar, water, one lemon, and Vodka.

Neutral spirit used to make Peach Schnapps at home

Sugar and water are used to produce a syrup that then gets flavored with fresh, quartered peaches. A bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice adds the necessary tartness to the mix.

Vodka and the peach-flavored syrup are combined, and the finished peach schnapps is best stored in a covered container inside your fridge or in another dark and cool place.

Using Peach flavored Schnapps in cocktails

The Fuzzy Naval was one of the first cocktails based on DeKuyper's sweet and fruity Peach Schnapps. This drink inspired a whole movement of sweet cocktails with rather provocative names.

Peach Schnapps cocktail - Sex on the beach

Think of creations like the Sex On The Beach, Sex In The Driveway, Blowjob Shot, and many more. Not all of them use Peach Schnapps as an ingredient, yet it was a Peach liqueur cocktail that started the movement of saucy cocktail names.

Today, Peach Schnapps is mainly used to create peach-themed twists on classic drinks. You can find cocktails like a Peach Martini, Peach Daiquiri, or a Peach Bellini.

Sex On The Beach cocktail with garnish

Sex On The Beach Recipe

A popular sweet and fruity cocktail from the 1980s. It is an easy-to-sip drink that's boozier than one might expect.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vodka
Servings: 1
Calories: 239kcal
Cost: $2.90

Equipment

  • 1 Jigger
  • 1 Cocktail Shaker
  • 1 Hawthorne Strainer

Ingredients

  • 0.75 oz Peach schnapps
  • 1 oz Fresh orange juice
  • 1 oz Fresh pineapple juice
  • 1.5 oz Vodka
  • 1 oz Cranberry juice
  • 0.5 oz Raspberry liqueur
  • 1 tsp Lemon juice

Instructions

  • Pour peach schnapps, orange juice, and pineapple juice into your cocktail shaker and shake with ice.
    0.75 oz Peach schnapps, 1 oz Fresh orange juice, 1 oz Fresh pineapple juice
  • Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass.
  • Add remaining ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
    1.5 oz Vodka, 1 oz Cranberry juice, 0.5 oz Raspberry liqueur, 1 tsp Lemon juice
  • Strain and float on top of the other ingredients.
  • Garnish with a slice of orange or an orange peel.

Nutrition

Serving: 6.25ozCalories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 22.42gProtein: 0.66gFat: 0.1gSodium: 2.66mgPotassium: 127.98mgSugar: 21.4gVitamin C: 25.54mgCalcium: 22.96mgIron: 0.32mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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