Full Circle Flavor
The Schnapps Category Has Done a Tasteful 360 On-Premise

It's a curious time in the world of spirits, a period in the chronology of alcohol in which flavor reigns and bar guests everywhere clamor for the next shining example of cocktail creativity. It’s also a time when the various categories of beverage — through competition or otherwise — are inspiring one another, and that’s precisely where the schnapps sector comes into play today.
    As a pioneer in the flavor department and a catalyst some years ago for various, tasty libations, it can be argued that vodka should tip its figurative hat, at the least, to schnapps for its current popularity and profitability. The prodigal son has returned, so to speak, and it’s fair to give credit where credit is due. Amidst an increase in schnapps brand launches and proprietary cocktail recipes utilizing the old spirits standby, it seems now is the time to give schnapps a fresh shot, pun intended.

The Trend Is In
    “I think if you rest and don’t innovate, you’ll miss the next trend,” says Amy Underwood, brand manager for the expansive DeKuyper brand under Beam Global Spirits and Wine, and she says this with a healthy dose of confidence and a hint of clairvoyance. But, as exemplified by DeKuyper’s recent launches of two schanpps products — Pucker Strawberry Passion and Pucker Berry Fusion — she has every reason to be.
    “We try to continually be aware of flavor trends, as far as spirits and food,” Underwood says, and she emphasizes that this schnapps renaissance is the result of much R&D. After several rounds of testing internally and with consumers, it was deemed that now indeed is prime for bar and club patrons — especially the younger age bracket who weren’t around for schnapps’ heyday in the ‘80s — to realize its potential behind the bar. “Education is the key,” Underwood says.
    As with most success stories in the alcohol beverage world at present, this one is heavily dependent on the raising of awareness with bar managers, bartenders and ultimately to bar guests. However, it is becoming an increasingly easier task thanks to brand producer-supplied recipe packages, targeted on-premise promotional programs and, quite simply, the fact that schnapps and its spectrum of flavors can be a cocktail’s most convenient and complementary friend.
    Typically sweet and with low ABV (usually 30 proof), American schnapps can add the perfect hint of flavor to a Martini or a shot without being overbearing. By this token, as Underwood says, schanpps has the advantageous ability to transcend age demographics through its wide usages.

Flavor Options Abound
    Libation inspiration, being key to guest satisfaction and operators’ sales, is another pillar of support for the argument that schnapps is coming back into the on-premise spotlight.
    This also is evidenced by the number of category brands making their way into the market today. Other than the aforementioned DeKuyper Strawberry Passion and Berry Fusion, there is a substantial selection of schnapps out there with which bartenders can experiment and implement. From Barton Brands’ line of Mr. Boston Schnapps, which includes Butterscotch, Sour Apple, Peach and Peppermint, to its 99 line, which includes Bananas, Oranges, Berries, Apples and Black Cherries, virtually any flavor profile in a beverage can be kicked up a notch.
    Of course, as reported in the industry and by operators, the latest buzz surrounding schnapps on the shelves centers on pomegranate. In similar fashion to the trendiness Appletinis garnered, Pometinis and other pomegranate-flavored cocktails have been in high demand. Companies such as Hiram Walker, picking up on this trend, have released schnapps versions of the flavor.
    “The pomegranate flavor trend is about to tip in the on-premise,” said Ron Zussman, brand director for Hiram Walker at Pernod Ricard USA, in late July. “It mixes well with all key spirits (e.g., vodka, rum, tequila), and it’s ideal for any occasion.”
    Like all of the flavors in the Hiram Walker family, its Pomegranate Schnapps brand is produced using only all-natural, fresh ingredients. This also indicates that the schnapps category, as a whole, is aligning with the times and perceptive to both the increased push by mixologists for fresh ingredients and the increased education of consumers as a result.
    As one of the pioneers of the category, Hiram Walker — continuing with its new Pomegranate — now accordingly sports a contemporary look through its packaging. These new schnapps representatives also feature a bottle that is specifically designed to be easier to pour — something bartenders really will appreciate as patrons become savvy to the cocktails that schnapps can produce.

Captivate and Capitalize
    Needless to say, the flavor has tipped in the past few months, but as summer turned to fall and fall toward winter, it’s not the only highly marketable schnapps on the market. While pomegranate, tangerine and mango add to excellent recipe mixes, with the advent of cold weather, hot cocktails again are peaking — and again — this is where the wide range of schanpps flavors can directly benefit on-premise beverage sales. Adding cinnamon or butterscotch schnapps to cocktails with Baileys Irish Cream, Starbucks Coffee Liqueur or Kahlua, for example, truly gives guests a satisfying sense of depth.
    As Zussman said and Underwood notes, schnapps is back in business. While it began to come back on the scene around 2001, only now has it really been taking off and boosting beverage sales in markets large and small. In fact, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), cordials and liqueurs (including schnapps) are the third leading category in the U.S. spirits market, and the category saw an impressive 12.1 percent increase in revenue in 2005. So, whether in simple mixes such as with lemon-lime soda or orange juice, or with more complicated cocktails using any range of spirits, it has been the ally to flavor with which operators can capitalize, captivating guests in the process.               NCB