THE ORIGINAL SPIRIT OF AMSTERDAM. THE CONCISELY COMPLEX GUIDE TO BOLS GENEVER. Bols Genever est. 1575 WE HAVEN’T SPENT 400 YEARS PERFECTING SOMETHING THAT’S FOR EVERYONE. Bols’ Master Distiller, Piet van Leijenhorst IT’S AN ACQUIRED CONTENTS What is Genever? 9 More on Malt Spirit 10 TASTE. The Botanicals 15 Flavor Profile 16 Our Genevers 18 The ‘Kopstootje’ Ritual 23 A Brief History 25 Cocktail Recipes 36 8 BOLS GENEVER. THEN WHAT LET’S IS BE CLEAR, GENEVER? IT’S NOT Genever is genever. And this is where it gets interesting. This great malt The oldest spirit you have spirit not only gives genever never heard of. its complex flavor, it is also incredibly complex to make. Put simply it is malt spirit. A great malt spirit in a Not to worry, we’ve been GIN. love affair with a blend doing it for over 400 years. of botanicals. 10 MALT SPIRIT YOU SAY? Now you know malt spirit Our Master Distiller triple- is the soul of genever. It’s distills his own combination a tricky business to make of rye, corn and wheat in and we like ours triple- copper pot stills to 47% distilled, so it’s a good thing alcohol to create our we’ve got some-400 years superior malt spirit. practice in. It’s from here that he blends Bols started producing the spirit with his selection genever and liqueurs of botanicals, then bringing in 1575. Since then we that blend to the magical have mastered the art of number of 42% alcohol. distillation, and passed on this knowledge from one 42% — the percentage Master Distiller to the next. that makes a genever perfect for making cocktails. Today, that’s Piet van Or, so the world’s leading Leijenhorst. bartenders say. 100% Malt Spirit Neat 12 SEE, ACTUAL COPPER POT STILLS. Technically, this is just one of the three stills we use at our Amsterdam Distillery. 22 INGREDIENTS WHICH BOTANICALS BUT WE’RE ARE HAPPY MAKING IF THINGS YOU COMPLEX? REMEMBER Juniper berries (obviously), Juniper and malt spirit are star anise, hops, licorice, the main players in genever ginger, coriander, cloves, though — remember these apricot kernels, angelica and you’re good to go. root, and over a dozen more ingredients marry our malt spirit. It’s this unique com- bination that makes Bols TWO. Genever taste so… unique. 16 A COMPLEX FLAVOR PROFILE. The Aroma. Bready oatmeal tones with nutty and musky juniper. Finished with slight apricot- peach sweetness. The Palate. Comes on with an initial apricot tone with sweet macadamia nuts, followed by clove and toasted rye. The Exit. Brings your tongue to life, thanks to our Master Pictured right: Distiller’s secret ingredient. Gives a slight juniper hit, The Really Old Fashioned, a cocktail succeeded with a hint of combining Barrel-Aged Bols tropical fruit (especially Genever and Orange Curaçao. pineapple) oiliness. See page 38 for the recipe. The Really Old Fashioned 18 19 THE GENEVERS OF BOLS. THE BARREL ORIGINALGenever as it always was. AGED Our premium genever. The original recipe from 1820. Hand-produced in limited Back then, Bols introduced quantities by our Master a new recipe with a subtler Distiller. Stored for 18 and more harmonious taste. months in oak casks from That’s the one that ended up the French Limousin region revolutionizing cocktails. It’s – hence its pale golden still as complex and powerful color and sweet, rich, oaky, today. flavor. For the true genever connoisseurs of the world. We know you three love it. WE TOOK AN ALREADY BITTER COCKTAIL & MADE IT COM PLEX. * See page 36 for the recipe. Red Light Negroni* 23 LOOK MOM, NO HANDS. The ‘Kopstootje’ (pronounced you see) without using their cop-stoat-cha, meaning hands for fear of spilling ‘headbutt’ in Dutch) is a – and with a beer at hand to traditional Amsterdam ritual soften the blow. for drinking genever where the drinker sips genever After that first sip, it’ll be from an almost over-full easier to pick up the glass. tulip glass (you were sure We suggest keeping the to get your money’s worth, beer by your side though. The Ritual of the Kopstootje 24 WE MADE COCKTAIL HISTORY. THERE BUT NO ONE WAS READ IT. Your grandfather’s bartenders around the world. grandfather’s grandfather And Bols Genever still here NO may have tasted Bols to bring it to life. Genever in one of the first cocktails, when our Around 150 years after genever sparked the cocktail Jerry Thomas wrote his revolution of the early 19th cocktail bible, it was another century. True story. ‘professor’ who re-realized the importance of genever COLLINS, Not long after Bols Genever as a cocktail ingredient. arrived in the USA, it That professor was spirits was discovered to be a historian David Wondrich. perfect mixing ingredient In his book ‘Imbibe!’, for cocktails, making it an Wondrich pays beautiful instant hit. homage to Jerry Thomas, and genever as the mother Okay, no one was really of classic cocktails. mixing drinks yet, but this all changed when cocktail It was Mr. Wondrich who legend Jerry P. Thomas, aka gave genever its position in ‘The Professor’, wrote the ‘the big four’ as the heart BEFORE first bartending book full of and soul of classic cocktails. cocktail recipes – the ones This proclamation sent considered classics today. bartenders around the world chasing after that soft yet Besides whiskey, rum and powerful taste. Now, classic brandy, Bols Genever was cocktails like the Collins one of the preferred base and the Old Fashioned are BOLS. spirits for mixing with thanks back to their original roots to its rich, mellow, smooth with genever. and malty taste. Today, Jerry’s book is still considered a bible for WE ALL KNOW BASICALLY, NO- BOLS BODY GENEVER HAS BEEN KILLING IT FOR A READS THE REALLY FINE PRINT. LONG TIME. 28 FOR THE LAST TIME, IT’S NOT GIN. * See page 36 for the recipe. Improved Holland Gin* 30 THE POWER OF A SOUR FLOWER. * See page 37 for the recipe. Genever Daisy* 33 ANOTHER CLASSIC IMPROVED BY COMPLEX- ITY. Dutch & Stormy* * See page 37 for the recipe. WE HEARD YOU WERE REALLY INTO GENEVER. 36 37 COCKTAIL Using the Original DUTCH & Bols Genever STORMY. RECIPES 1.5 oz Bols Genever Original Ginger beer A dash of Angostura bitters RED Build all ingredients over ice LIGHT into a large long drink glass. NEGRONI. Garnish with a lime boat. 1 oz Bols Genever Original 1 oz sweet vermouth 1 oz Italian bitter liqueur Combine the ingredients with ice in a mixing glass, and stir well. Strain into the lightbulb glass. Serve the lightbulb next to a rocks glass filled with ice and garnished with an orange twist. IMPROVED HOLLAND GIN. GENEVER 2 oz Bols Genever Original .5 oz Bols Maraschino or DAISY. Orange Curacao 2 oz Bols Genever Original 2 dashes of absinthe .5 oz Bols Maraschino or .25 oz of rich sugar syrup Orange Curacao (2 parts sugar: 1 part water) .25 oz of rich sugar syrup 2 dashes of Angostura (2 parts sugar: 1 part water) bitters .25 oz lemon juice Stir all ingredients, with ice, Shake all ingredients and in a mixing glass. fine strain into a prechilled Strain into a prechilled coupe coupe glass. glass and garnish with an Top with sparkling wine. orange twist. Garnish with lemon peel. 38 39 YOU Using Barrel-Aged Bols Genever CAN THANK THE REALLY OLD US FASHIONED. 2 oz Bols Genever Barrel-Aged .25 oz simple syrup (2 parts sugar: 1 part water) 3 dashes of Angostura bitters Stir all ingredients, with ice, in a rocks glass. Garnish with orange peel. KOPSTOOTJE. A shot of Bols Genever Barrel-Aged. Serve alongside your favorite LATER. beer. FROM AMSTER- DAM WITH LOVE. Lucas Bols Amsterdam B.V. P.O. Box 1591, 1000 BN The Original Spirit of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Holland .