I'm sure those readers of a certain age are familiar with apricot schnapps and/or brandy -- back in the 70's and 80's these things were frequently neon-orange and always tasted like liquified candy. They were really liqueurs in all but name, and they weren't even good at that. However in Germany and Austria the word "schnapps" refers to any distilled spirit, and in Austria especially it implies a dry spirit distilled from fruit (aka eau de vie). The Blume Marillen (aka the flower of the apricot) is exactly this, a "schnapps" in the truest sense of the word. It's made by fermenting Klosterneuburger apricots into an apricot "cider" of sorts, then distilling that cider. The result is a spirit that tastes like the very essence of apricots whilst ending crisp, like pure rain water mixed with almondine goodness. Have it in cocktails in place of gin or the traditional way as a cold, neat shot. Prost!

-Marco
