Genever (Holland Gin)

[Chris Amirault]

Grabbed a bottle of the Genevieve at LeNell's -- thanks to the NY crowd for leaving a few for us slowpokes from up north -- and made an Improved Holland Cock-Tail with

2 oz Genevieve

1 tsp simple

1 tsp maraschino

dash Regan's #6 bitters

dash Fee's orange bitters

dash Pernod

There are a few cocktails that I immediately think, "I have to make this for my friends." Then there are the smaller number that cause me to scheme, "This one's just for me."

What a fantastic spirit, and what a fantastic cocktail. If this is what Jerry Thomas had in mind, he truly was a genius. Thanks, Jerry, and thanks, Dave.

[Scotttos]

Grabbed a bottle of the Genevieve at LeNell's -- thanks to the NY crowd for leaving a few for us slowpokes from up north -- and made an Improved Holland Cock-Tail with

2 oz Genevieve

1 tsp simple

1 tsp maraschino

dash Regan's #6 bitters

dash Fee's orange bitters

dash Pernod

There are a few cocktails that I immediately think, "I have to make this for my friends." Then there are the smaller number that cause me to scheme, "This one's just for me."

←

I'm of the same mind as you with "this one's just for me," but maybe for different reasons, haha. I've made these on various occasions for a handful of people (including my girlfriend who is pretty well versed) and the results have been overwhelmingly disappointing. ......

Turns out no one can really get their head around the taste of the genevieve.

It's unfortunate but then again I only have a few bottles soooo.....

[Philip Duff]

If you want to taste an absolutely awesome genever, you shouldn't have to wait too long - Bols Genever was launched today in Amsterdam, and events will follow soon in New York, San Francisco and London (details www.bolsgenever.com )

It's a terrific, bold old-school genever that I helped develop when I was global brand ambassador at Bols, and it's just about the coolest project I've been involved with the last few years. It's a relief to be able to finally talk about it!

There'll be US distribution, and lots more, and if you absolutely can't wait, drop by the Juniperlooza! myself, Simon Ford and guest Juniperloozan Angus Winchester will be doing at Sydney Bar Show in a couple of weeks - I may well have a bottle or two with me...

Edited September 3, 2008 by Philip Duff (log)

[slkinsey]

Bols has long been a favored genever. Indeed, the first post in this thread (dating to 2005) laments the fact that Bols had recently decided to stop distribution to the States. We'll be very happy to see it back here! I ran in to the US brand guy at Pegu Club some months ago, so I was aware that there were plans to bring it back. Any ideas as to when it will hit the states? And which versions? A Jonge and Oude are expected, but a Korenwijn would be great.

[Chris Amirault]

Welcome to eG Forums, Philip, and great news! Any sense of what the timeline will be for broader US rollout? If we should start bugging our retailers, let us know.

[Philip Duff]

Thank you sir - I must have lurked here for a couple of years!

Without divulging any sensitive info - I was global brand ambassador and consultant for Bols until just last week - I imagine you should be seeing it early Oct, because the launch events are in NY and SF at the very tail end of Sept. So get bugging those liquor stores. Although, as ever, the US is a mighty big place and if you're not on the trendsetting east coast or gin-slurping west coast it may not be so swift...hell, nip over here and buy a few bottles, kids don't need collge, they can use the Internet!

The genever itself is lush and it's a single version. It's strong, bold, maltwine heavy and just lovely; a real 1820s style genever, in no way a Jonge and not a Corenwyn either.

[perfumekev]

Philip can you confirm who will be doing the importing?

Can't wait for the Genever should be great!

I found out much to my chagrin that Bols Damrak Gin is no longer being imported.

since Bols split from Remy Cointreau William Grant & Sons who was thier other importer says that they won't import Damrak because they don't want it to compete with thier Hendricks Gin which they own.

This I don't understand considering that Hendricks and Bols Damrak taste nothing alike they are two totaly different beasts!

thanx

Kev

Edited September 22, 2008 by perfumekev (log)

[perfumekev]

I also heard that Zuidam will be launching a limited eddition Aged Genever around the holidays.

[perfumekev]

I've been loving Genever in the Easter Sour style format.

this comes from some Trader Vic book and from one of my Jeff Berry books

the Trader Vic book names each sour after the base spirit used in it.

so we can call this the Amsterdam sour?

adabted from Trader Vic's the Eastern sour recepie

Juice of 1/2 orange about 2 oz big oranges

Juice of 1/2 lemon about 1oz.

2oz. Genever

1/4 oz orgeat

1/4 oz rich simple syrup /made with a vanilla bean.

dash angostoura bitters

tiny "and I mean tiny" dash of absinthe

egg white if preferd but not nessisary

shake

serve in a large old fashoned w/ ice with orange slice cherry and sprig o' mint

[perfumekev]

Philip?

what other interesting things are happening with Bols? that you can talk about since you are not working there any more.

[slkinsey]

Nice article in the NY Times about genever and the reintroduction of Bols Genever:

Malty and Complex, the Original Gin Is Making a Comeback:

Next week Lucas Bols, a Dutch company that was founded in 1575, will start to sell its genever in the United States again. It was last imported in quantity about 50 years ago, but small amounts have seeped into the United States since then. Grain shortages in Holland during the world wars and Prohibition in the United States combined to do in the export of genever.

The Lucas Bols genever joins a few other brands of genever already on the market. Zuidam and Boomsma are imported from Holland. And earlier this year, Anchor Brewing and Distilling, the San Francisco company that makes Junipero, a dry gin, started selling Genevieve, a genever that it had developed about 10 years ago.

Lucas Bols decided to reintroduce its genever because of demand from bartenders, said Sandie van Doorne, the company’s creative director. “There’s a strong trend to going back to original authentic tastes,” she said. She also said that over the years the genever that was sold in Holland had become more neutral in response to popular tastes. But that trend is reversing. “We felt we now had a mandate to create a new future for genever,” Ms. van Doorne said.

[bostonapothecary]

yikes that stuff is expensive. i'm pretty sure they just redistill their london dry style gins with malta goya...

[Chris Amirault]

$26 and $28 for Boomsma? I can get both oude and jonge for $14 here.

[eje]

Tonic? Why on earth would you mix Genever with tonic as part of the taste test?

Soda, sure. But tonic? That's like making a whiskey tonic.

[Chris Amirault]

Judging from the pitch of the article, aimed at the G&T crowd, I guess Fabricant wanted to avoid the inevitable cocktail party faux pas. Missed opportunity for education, though.

And given that one of the best cocktails I've ever had is posted here, her implication that there aren't many good cocktail options is odd. I can imagine that Wondrich was talking about the gin/genever comparison when he said,

It’s harder to use it in mixed drinks and cocktails, and it’s not good in a martini because it’s no good with dry vermouth,

but harder don't mean impossible. And you don't need blueberry syrup, either.

[bostonapothecary]

1.5 oz. gordon's gin redistilled with malta goya

1.5 oz. stock sweet vermouth

dash regan's bitters

this is one of the most amusing drinks i've ever had.

1.5 oz. gordon's gin redistilled with malta goya

1.5 oz. pastrana single vineyard manzanilla sherry

.5 oz. something sweet (plymouth sloe gin)

spoonful of cynar

yum, simple frivolous cocktail... malty sherry juniper goodness... should have used yellow chartreuse because the sloe gin might have brought too much acidity considering there was already a huge amount of sherry...

Edited September 24, 2008 by bostonapothecary (log)

[slkinsey]

With all due respect (and plenty is due), Florence Fabricant hardly strikes me as much of a cocktailian. Or even someone who particularly knows about spirits. Although perhaps I'm missing this aspect of her work and writing.

I don't think that Dave is incorrect in suggesting that genever is not as felicitous for mixed drinks as most other common mixing spirits. The flavor is subtle enough that I can see many modifiers obscuring genever's "specialness" -- and the combination of malty plus junipery can make it somewhat cranky to pair up. On the other hand, as Chris points out, "harder" doesn't equal "impossible." Genevieve has turned out to work very well in some improbable contexts, such as Phil Ward's Last Word variation. That said, Bols isn't as emphatically flavored as Genevieve.

[perfumekev]

Ok so that article sucked I don't think Dave was represented apropiately considering how much he talked about Genever in "Imbibe"

Nor was Audry it seems as though Florence Fabricant was fabricating what she wanted the article to sound like.

Frist of all Tonic is a totally inapropriate mixer for Genever sould have been ginger ale or even coca cola ( which the Dutch like to drink it with)with a slice of orange.

they should have sugested the fabulous sours and more about the cocktails that can be made with genever.

It mixes well with curacao, creame de noyaux, absinthe, Jenever loves citrius juices, not to mention Vanilla simple syrup, drambuie, charturse, marachino, etc

Plus the liqueurs that can be made with Jenever and rasins or even apricots.

I am a Dutch American and am a big fan of Genever and I thought this article did not promote the spirit properly

What part of Zuidam's Genever has very little odor the odor is very pronounced to me.

I am not overly impresed by the Boomsma Genevers they don't really hit the mark as far as Genever goes.

I do like Anchors Genevive it is very pungent and intense.

I have about 25 genevers in my collection and love mixing with them.

It is a very complex and diverse spirits group Im glad that people are getting to taste them in the US.

Lets put on our creative mixing hats and come up with some great drinks!

[eje]

To me Oude Genever is no more difficult to mix with than, say, tequila or blended scotch whisky.

It's not as easy going as rye whiskey, dry gin, or vodka, but, on the other hand, it's nowhere near the challenge of Mezcal, Islay Malts, Rhum Agricole, or Batavia Arrack.

It seems like people just make the mistake of trying to treat it like a London Dry or modern style gin.

Instead, you gotta think of it like a young whiskey and go from there.

[Mike S.]

Kev, what's this about Damrak not being imported to the US any more? Seriously?

[perfumekev]

Yes Damrak is not being imported since Remy sold Bols back to Bols

WilliamGrant & Sons is the importer- distributor for thier liqueurs.

I was told that William G&S. does not want to import Damrak because they don't want it to compete with thier Hendricks Gin which is pretty stupid considering that Damrak and Hendriks gin taste nothing alike ,look nothing alike, and are totaly different -you get my point.

I am wondering who is doing the importing for Bols Genever I am guesing that that may be the same for the Damrak hopefully.

I wonder what else Bols has up it's sleave Philip eluded to that in an earlier post.

just wondering?

[Philip Duff]

The US importers of Bols Genever are the inestimable Cattanni Importsd, and as far as I knew unitl a couple of weeks back, they'd continue with importing Damrak.

Bols Genever was the big story, isn't it excellent? There are no other things up Bols' sleeve I know of, BUT...if you really like genever you'll love the Corenwyn 6 and 10 year old editions, recently launched and only for the Dutch market. Aging genever is comparatively new, and Corenwyn is for me the finest expression of genever. It's also not outrageously expensive, usually up to 40% cheaper than single malt. In fact, I have some Corenwyn 10 calling me as I type th......................................

[perfumekev]

Thanks agian Philip, your the best!

Enjoy that Genever!

[Splificator]

I don't think Dave was represented apropiately considering how much he talked about Genever in "Imbibe"

I was indeed quoted, let's say, very selectively. The two things I have found genever mixes poorly with are dry vermouth and tonic. On the other hand, I think it mixes wonderfully well with just about everything else, or at least everything you can mix whiskey with (for that matter, I'm decidedly not a fan of whiskey and dry vermouth, either). Some of my favorite cocktails are based on genever.

Edited for diplomacy.

Edited September 27, 2008 by Splificator (log)

[perfumekev]

Thanks for clarifying Dave,

I love how one of the things you said does not mix with genever ( tonic) is exactly what they used to mix it with.

And I totaly agree with you dry vermouth is not a very good friend to genever either.

The mixing possibilities with genever is huge.