Peach schnapps is the liqueur that made the 1980s taste of peaches: a sweet, bright, candy-peach spirit at 15 to 24 per cent that turned vodka and juice into Sex on the Beach and, thirty years later, mixed with whiskey and sour mix into the Green Tea Shot. It is not a schnapps in the European sense, and it is not trying to be subtle.

What is peach schnapps?

An American-style liqueur of neutral spirit, sugar and peach flavouring (natural and artificial), bottled at 15 to 24 per cent alcohol and clear or faintly gold. A true European schnapps (Schnaps, eau-de-vie) is a dry, unsweetened fruit brandy at 40 per cent; the American "schnapps" is a sweet liqueur that borrowed the name. DeKuyper launched Peachtree Schnapps in 1984 and it became the fastest-selling new spirit in American history, powering Sex on the Beach, the Fuzzy Navel (peach schnapps and orange juice), the Woo Woo and a decade of sweet, fruity drinks; Archers is the British equivalent. It fell from fashion with the 2000s cocktail revival and came back through the shot menu, where the Green Tea Shot (Jameson, peach schnapps, sour mix, a splash of lemon-lime soda) has been a bar staple since the 2010s. Better peach liqueurs exist (Giffard Pêche de Vigne, Mathilde Pêche, Merlet Crème de Pêche) and work in the same drinks with more fruit and less candy.

What it tastes like

Sweet, ripe peach with a candied, slightly artificial edge and a thin, clean finish; the better liqueurs taste of the fruit and the skin, the cheap ones of peach gummies. It pairs with vodka, orange and cranberry juice (Sex on the Beach), with Irish whiskey and lemon (the Green Tea Shot), with sparkling wine in a Bellini-style drink, with iced tea, with bourbon in a summer smash, and with ginger ale. It is a sweetener as much as a flavour: three-quarters of an ounce in a shot or a highball, a half ounce in a sour, and cut the syrup.

How to use it

As the fruit and the sugar in a simple vodka drink: three-quarters of an ounce with an ounce and a half of vodka and juice over ice. In a shot, equal parts with whiskey and sour mix, shaken and strained. A half ounce in a glass of prosecco for a quick Bellini. Keep it cold; it is low in proof and better chilled. A home peach liqueur (ripe peaches and their stones macerated in vodka with sugar for a month) is the upgrade and keeps a year.

Substitutes

A crème de pêche (Giffard, Mathilde, Merlet), one for one, which is the same idea made with fruit. Peach purée plus simple syrup and a splash of vodka. Apricot liqueur (Rothman & Winter, Giffard Abricot du Roussillon), which is the better-made cousin and works in every peach drink. Peach nectar in a highball, with no proof.

What to buy

DeKuyper Peachtree is the original and what the recipes assume; Archers in Britain. Giffard Pêche de Vigne or Mathilde Pêche for a liqueur that tastes of peaches at a similar price. Avoid the 15 per cent bottom-shelf bottles, which are syrup with a little alcohol.

Storage and shelf life

A year or two open, at room temperature or in the fridge; the flavour dulls slowly and the fruit liqueurs fade faster than the schnapps. Sealed, several years.

Cocktails with peach schnapps

The 1980s classic: Sex on the Beach. The shot: the Green Tea Shot. Every drink that uses peach schnapps is listed below.

Questions

Is peach schnapps a real schnapps? No; a European schnapps is a dry fruit brandy. American peach schnapps is a sweet liqueur that took the name.

How strong is it? 15 to 24 per cent depending on the brand; Peachtree is 15 in the US and 20 in Europe.

What is a Green Tea Shot? Equal parts Irish whiskey, peach schnapps and sour mix with a splash of lemon-lime soda. It contains no tea.

What is a better peach liqueur? Giffard Pêche de Vigne or Mathilde Pêche; they taste of fruit and cost about the same.