[HeyLaughingBoy]

> apfelkorn is basically apple juice fortified with grain spirit

Here in the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc), there is a similar beverage called Apple Pie that's made with sweet apple cider, high-proof alcohol like Everclear and other flavorings. It's dangerously delicious: the apple flavor masks the alcohol, leading people to drink far more than they realize.

Since the area has a high number of people descended from German immigrants, your post has me wondering if that's where it originated.