From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
Also akvavit. Made in Scandinavia since the 15th century, this grain-based spirit (sometimes using potato) is flavored with cumin, caraway or fennel. Its name comes from the Latin aqua vitae, meaning "water of life." In Germany, it's called Schnapps, in Denmark schnaps, while in Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands, snaps. The name derives from the old Nordic verb snappen, meaning "to snatch or seize", referring to the way one drinks it, down the throat in a single gulp.
