Ratzeputz is a

schnaps Schnapps ( or ) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neu ...

, a type of

spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

popular in Germany, which contains extracts and distillates of root

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...

. The fresh ginger it contains is said to be beneficial to the stomach. Ratzeputz today (2006) only contains 58%

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

; whereas higher proportions of alcohol used to be common. The ingredients, which are found by most consumers to be sharp, are intended to leave a long aftertaste in the mouth and throat. Ratzeputz was first created in 1877 by Peter Weidmann, a

distiller Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heating ...

Celle Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...

. In the town, the

Lüneburg Heath Lüneburg Heath (german: Lüneburger Heide) is a large area of heath, geest, and woodland in the northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen a ...

region and its surrounding area, Ratzeputz is a well-known, high-alcohol

-based speciality. Its strong but delicate ginger flavour has helped it gain considerable international attention as well. Originally bottled by C.W. Baland & Langebartels in

, it is now made under licence by Schwarze and Schlichte in

Oelde Oelde () is a town in the district of Warendorf, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near Beckum. Geography Division of the town Oelde consists of 5 districts: * Oelde * Stromberg * Lette * Sünninghausen * Kirchspiel (with farmi ...

. Until several years ago Ratzeputz was distilled in the centre of Celle. The reason why the strong smell in the town at weekends has gone is due to the transfer of its production to an industrial estate in

Westercelle Westercelle is a suburb of the district town of Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, that lies 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) south of the town centre on the river Fuhse. History The village derives its name from its location west of the original settleme ...

. The sales outlet immediately next to the distillery (between ''Neuer Straße'' and ''Zöllnerstraße'') in the town centre has also been closed and the number of different bottle sizes has been reduced. The original products are still easy to obtain, however, at least in Celle. A mix of Ratzeputz with the herb-based spirit

Heidegeist Heidegeist (also: ''guter Heidegeist'') is a herbal liqueur that is sold especially in the area of the Lüneburg Heath in northern Germany. The name means "heath spirit" or "heath ghost". ''Heidegeist'' contains a total of 31 heather ingredients ...

under the name ''108er'' is especially common in the Lüneburg Heath, its name being derived by adding their alcohol contents of 58% and 50% together.Recipe for 108er
at frag-mutti.de There are several bars in Germany which specialize in serving Ratzeputz, the most notable of which is 'Ratzeputz Bar' on Weserstrasse,

Neukölln Neukölln () is one of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is located in the southeastern part from the city centre towards Berlin Schönefeld Airport. It was part of the former American sector under the Four-Power occupation of the city. It featu ...

, Berlin.

References

External links

Ratzeputz official homepage
German liqueurs Lüneburg Heath Bitters {{Germany-stub