Bols Genever Gin
This should be very interesting to try, and I'm a big fan of Gin.
Lucas Bols, an Amsterdam-based spirits company that's been around since 1575, is again making it's Bols Genever, based on a recipe the company has used since 1820.
Genever (also known as jenever, junever, genievre, genever, jeniever, peket or in England as Holland gin) is the juniper-flavored and strongly alcoholic traditional liquor of the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France, from which gin evolved.
Genever was originally produced by distilling maltwine to 50% ABV, but because the resulting spirit wasn't that good due to the lack of refined distilling techniques, the juniper berry was added to mask the flavor. The juniper berry (Jeneverbes in Dutch, which comes from the French genievre) was chosen for its alleged medicinal affects, hence the name genever and the English name Gin. Genever was once such a hot commodity that in the mid-18th century it was condemned as a "social menace" in England.
In the late 19th century, technological advances enabled distillers to produce neutral spirits at very high proofs. When re-distilled with complex blends of juniper berries and other natural botanicals, these neutral spirits were transformed into what we know today as modern "distilled dry gin".
You can now buy this traditional Genever recipe. A quick search came up with a bottle for $50, but they would only ship to California, so you'll have to look around for one if you're interested.
(originally via)
Posted by Ghostshark under Spirits | Comments (0)