Genever all but disappeared from Chicago-area liquor stores a few years ago, aside from a few obscure brands. Recently, an historic brand has re-launched, and it’s an exciting time for classic cocktails.
So what is it, exactly?
Genever is the precursor to traditional dry gin (which was the English's attempt at copying genever), but it has very little in common flavor-wise with dry gin. Genever has been made in the Benelux region (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as well as parts of France and Germany) for centuries.
Like so many spirits, it started as a medicinal tonic, but gradually became more popular for its flavor. In short, genever is all about the grain distillate, with hints of herbs (maybe), whereas dry gin is all about the herbs alone.
Genever Production
Genever is traditionally made with a malt wine base, which means the base is from fermented grain that is not as highly distilled as the base for dry gin. Typical grains used include corn, rye, barley and wheat. The distillate most closely resembles unaged (white) whiskey. It is then infused with herbs and/or flavored with herb distillates/flavorings to give it some herb notes, and it might be distilled again. The only required herb is juniper, and it does not have to be discernible in the spirit.
Genever in the US
In the 1860's, genever was very popular in the US – we imported six times more genever than English gin in those days. Genever made several appearances in cocktail books from that time. It’s really an essential part of exploring this country's cocktail history.
Oude vs. Jonge
These are the two main categories of genevers. The words mean "old" and "young" but the terms don't relate to the age of the spirit. Instead, they relate to the production process and makeup of the spirit.
- Oude - the base spirit must be at least 15% malt wine, it must be at least 70° proof (35% alcohol), and can have no more than 20 grams per liter of sugar (the best have none). Aging is optional, but if you do it you must age it for at least one year. Most genevers are aged in used American whiskey barrels.
- Jonge - base must be no more than 15% malt wine, it must be at least 70° proof (35% alcohol), and can have no more than 10 grams per liter of sugar (the best have none). Jonge is often very light in flavor, some have described is as essentially vodka (highly refined distilled grain) with a tiny bit of malt flavor.
Bols Genever
Bols recently relaunched their genever here in Chicago, and it has started appearing at the great cocktail bars and liquor stores around town. The distillery dates to 1575, and the current recipe used for Bols Genever dates to 1820. This genever is lighter in flavor than the original genevers, which were 100% malt wine - it’s made with a blend of malt wine and neutral spirit.. However, it still has lots of character, with rich malty/yeasty flavors and hints of herbs.
Drinking Genever
In the Netherlands, genever is most often served straight. However, there are many great classic cocktails that call for genever. Here is one example of something you could make tonight, adapted from the original Jerry Thomas bartending guide.
(Revised) Improved Holland Gin Cocktail
2 ounces Genever
1 tsp Simple Syrup
(1:1 ratio of sugar to water)
1 tsp Orange Curacao
(original recipe called for Maraschino
Liqueur; use rich simple syrup if you
use that instead – 2:1 ratio)
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 dash Absinthe
Combine in a glass, stir and add ice; stir again, and twist a piece of lemon peel over the top. Rub lemon peel along the rim, then drop into the glass.
Note: I actually made this drink with Genevieve, a 100% malt wine genever made by the folks at Anchor Distilling in San Francisco.
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