CHOOSING GENEVER BY FLAVOR GENEVER MANIFESTO CONTENT 1. Introduction 04 2. What is Genever 06 3. History of Genever 07 4. Protected Geographical Indication 12 5. Making Genever 13 6. Types of Genever 22 7. Flavors 24 8. How to consume 28 9. Distillers 30 10. Term sheet 48 1. INTRODUCTION THE ESSENCE OF GENEVER Genever is a complex spirit and one with a rich history. Every genever is unique, with its own recipe and Popular since the 17th century genever is the largest spirit category in the Netherlands and Belgium. flavor, using artisanal processes down to the last, little detail. However, all genever have some charac- The juniper berry, jeneverbes in Dutch, lends its name to the drink, jenever – or genever in English. teristics in common. To be called “genever” it: Juniper was used for its supposed medicinal benefits, while other botanicals were added to give flavor. Genever was once one of the largest European exports, and was widely consumed in the United States • Must contain malt spirit and juniper berry; as part of the budding cocktail culture of the 19th century. These days, in Europe genever is mostly • Must be a distilled spirit made from natural ingredients (such as grains and botanicals); served neat in a tulip-shaped glass filled to the brim, the first sip is slurped straight from the counter so as • Must be made in Holland or Belgium (and in some areas in Germany and France); not to spill a drop of the precious spirit. Many spirits experts consider genever to be one of the most versatile and interesting spirits, because: However, recently bartenders around the world are re-discovering genever as a base for classic and contemporary cocktails, as was the case back when cocktails originated in 19th century America. In • The variance in the balance of juniper, malt spirit, botanicals, distilling, and blending 1880, more than one quarter of all cocktails were made using genever. Following two World Wars and techniques, allow for an enormous diversity of flavor delivery; from aromatic, zesty, and fresh , Prohibition, genever all but disappeared from the world stage in the 20th century, but it’s recently through to earthy, malty, and rich. regained interest from bartenders as the trend for classic cocktails is spreading and gaining strength. • Unlike many categories a genever can be aged in barrels or may be unaged, allowing for even Today, European genever brands, classic and new, have united to put the genever category back on the more complexity of flavour map – ready to bring back the lost spirit to the USA. • It truly bridges the gap between transparent and aged spirits, ranging in styles from the crispness of gin to the oaky, richness of whiskey • The craft of making genever has been around for more than 500 years, and yet the industry remains a source of constant experimentation, and innovation. FLAVOR PIONEERS Thanks to pioneers like Lucas Bols, Herman Jansen, Simon Rutte, Hero Jan Hooghoudt, Gerard Smeets, all the historical knowledge that was acquired about the amazingly complex process of making genever is still available today. This knowledge enables genever distillers to work on new flavors and expressions with just as much enthusiasm and passion as they did in the old days. The result is genever, in which tradition and innovation meet. A new world of maltiness, herbs, spices, extraction, distillation, aging, and blending. GENEVER MANIFESTO 04/05 CHOOSING GENEVER BY FLAVOR 2.WHAT IS GENEVER? 3. HISTORY OF GENEVER THE DEFINITION OF GENEVER GENEVER’S ORIGINS: THE ELIXIR OF LIFE, DUTCH COURAGE AND HOLLAND GIN Malt spirit + Juniper berries + botanicals For centuries genever has been the national drink of the Netherlands and Belgium. Since 2008, it has Unaged or barrel aged even enjoyed a Protected Geographical Indication. Genever, by definition is a combination of malt spirit and juniper berries (and other botanicals). It is incredibly diverse in its styles and versatile in its uses, drawing on a rich heritage of historical craft from 1349 Europe. Treating the plague The year 1349 saw the plague haunt the Low Countries. As a precautionary measure, burning juniper What makes genever different from other spirits? berries and wood in confined spaces was recommended. Doctors started treating the plague by The first distinguishing aspect is its unique malt spirit ingredient, giving a complex malty yet fruity base dipping sponges in juniper wood oil and inserting them into mouth masks or ‘beaks’. to any genever, paired with botanicals. Genever represents a variety of expressions that is only rarely found in other distilled spirits. It can be rich in botanicals with predominantly juniper but also other key botanicals as coriander and angelica. On the 1400 other end of the spectrum it can be full of malt and the dark aroma of years on wood casks. The diversity The art of improving distillation of products and styles is reflected in the versatile opportunities this spirit gives the consumer to enjoy it. In the 14th century distillation techniques spread through Sicily and across the European continent. In From sipping it neat, to pairing it with beer or food, or mixing it in cocktails. The bartender can use it to the major port towns (Antwerp, Amsterdam, Schiedam, Rotterdam) the Dutch managed to gradually recreate the original genever based classic cocktails that predate Prohibition, or use it to push the improve the process. Wine was used as the base for the first distillation techniques and in the southern boundaries of their creativity – the way genever has been used for hundreds of years. part of the Low Countries, home to the majority of the area’s vineyards, wine remained the basic ingredient of the distillation process for a long time. 1552 Juniper berry water The first written recipe for genever dates back to 1552 – the same year Philippus Hermanni wrote his bestseller Een costelijck distileerboec (liberally translated as An Important Book on Distilling). Here again, the base liquid for the recipe was wine, but production of brandy became more and more expensive with bad harvests and cold winters wiping out many vineyards in Belgium and The Nether- lands. This resulted in an increased use in beer and cider production, using grains and apples, as the base for their juniper infusions. GENEVER MANIFESTO 06/07 CHOOSING GENEVER BY FLAVOR 1600 lacked the sources of good grain and had to rely on whatever the country’s brewers and bakers didn’t From Belgium to the Netherlands want. As a result, towards the end of the 1700s, they learned to filter and rectify the base spirit to make it The Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) drove the Northern and Southern Netherlands (these days The as flavorless as possible and then add the flavor back through infusion or re-distillation with a complex Netherlands and Belgium) further apart, causing different laws and regulations to come into play. In blend of botanicals. This had the advantage of being much cheaper (particularly if, as some unscrupu- 1601, in the Southern Netherlands, Count Albert and Isabella decided to ban distillates made from lous distillers would do, you replaced the expensive juniper with turpentine). It wasn’t, however, until the grain, apples, and rotten pears concerned by the possibility of a national food shortage. The remaining second quarter of the 1800s, with the introduction of column distilling and the light, neutral-tasting distillers who had not yet fled the country, were forced to leave the region. By the end of the 16th spirits it could produce, that this approach was able to yield a product of consistent quality. century, an large amount of these distillers had settled in the area of La Rochelle in France, and it was their brandy that became the beginnings of the traditional production of cognac. Not all went south, a few Golden Age of Genever distillers moved further north into what’s nowadays known as The Netherlands. This shifted a large The distillation of genever across the Low Countries was back in full swing after the distillation ban was population and prosperity to the North and laid the foundation of the “Dutch Golden Age”. lifted in the South. In 1800, in Schiedam, a small distilling port in the Netherlands had more than 250 distilleries and Belgium quickly caught up again with more than 1000 distilleries shortly after. To put The Golden Age those numbers into context it’s worth mentioning that neither Belgium nor The Netherlands are any The Dutch East India Trading Company (VOC), the most valuable company in history, was now trading bigger than the state of Maryland. with all parts of the world, bringing to Europe the most exotic spices and herbs available. The VOC not only fueled the diversity of ingredients available for use by distillers, it also made for significant demand, as every sailor was entitled to 150ml of genever a day, making the VOC the most important client to many 1862 distilleries. Holland Gin: bartender’s choice At the beginning of the 1860s, a former sailor and gold-miner by the name of Jeremiah P.—“Jerry,” for The Ancestor of Gin short—Thomas was approached by the New York publishing firm of Dick & Fitzgerald. They were The history of gin actually begins with genever This is not common knowledge abroad, but is still quite planning a book of recipes for all of the popular mixed drinks of the day, and Jerry Thomas was one of the a source of pride in the Low Countries today. most respected bartenders in the city. There had been one or two attempts at such a book before, but The English had their first introduction to genever during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) when they nobody had ever thought to secure the assistance of an actual bartender.