Bols Vodka is made with wheat, filtered through charcoal, and has a soft, smooth flavor. First released in 1989, it earned the Superior Taste Award by the International Taste & Quality Institute in 2010. Bols makes a funky yogurt liqueur

Jonge jenever has a neutral taste, like vodka, with a slight aroma of juniper and malt wine. Oude jenever has a smoother, very aromatic taste with malty flavours. Oude jenever is sometimes aged in wood; its malty, woody and smoky flavours resemble whisky. Different grains used in the production process – such as barley, wheat, spelt and rye – produce different flavoured jenevers. The taste is sometimes enhanced by adopting barrels previously used for American whiskey. Nowadays, jenever is served from the freezer like vodka. However, jonge jenever used to be drunk at room temperature with sugar and a spoon similar to absinthe. Toffee and vanilla upfront with faint clues to cassia bark and honey. Mid-palate brings notes of crisp juniper and baked apples. A touch of cinnamon and anise on the medium finish. Best Served Each brand varies but overall, Genever is a very distinctive style of juniper spirit. Broadly speaking, its flavour falls somewhere between a botanically layered spirit and an unaged whisky.Genever leads more with a palate from its base ingredients of the malt wine, but the two styles of Jonge (young) and Oude (old) can also vary.

If you’ve run across genever outside of The Netherlands, it’s probably been from this producer. Bols has done plenty of the heaving lifting to reinvigorate interest in the U.S. for the traditional spirit. There are three types, ranging from its standard genever to a 100% malt, unaged genever that will test a seasoned drinker.Aromas of herbs and juniper are beautifully enveloped with floral fragrances of orange blossom with a hint of anise. On The Palate Not only is the percentage of malt wine higher giving them a grainier undertone, Oude genevers tend to also have more botanicals than jonge genevers. The ingredients are soaked in the distillate for three days in copper pots before being mixed with malt spirit, grain alcohol, and water and matured for several years in oak barrels. On The Nose

Bols Genever uses a carefully selected blend of grains comprised of wheat, rye & corn. The malt spirit is then infused with juniper berries and re-distilled multiple times. The combination of malt spirit and juniper berries creates a subtle & delicate pine aroma with undertones of musk and malt. I recommend not trying to make a Gin and Tonic with a genever. While some people do really enjoy it, genever differs quite a bit from gin. Just know that it’s not going to be the same thing. Overall, Bols Genever Method: Combine all ingredients (except gingerbread crumbs) in a shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into a glass of your choosing. Garnish with gingerbread crumbs. You can also dust the rim of the glass with fine crumbs or garnish with a whole cookie if desired. Mr. Sunshine Tinker to Evers Recognized for its historic and cultural contribution, and subject to production specifications, the European Union protected genever with 11 specific types of jenever as a geographical indication:At the time, distillation was not permitted in the centre of Amsterdam, due to the fire risks associated with operating a still amongst Amsterdam’s predominantly wooden buildings, so Bols set up its still on the outskirts of the city on the bank of a stream, so the abundant cold water could be used for cooling the condensing column. The still sat under a simple roof with a small wooden building for storing botanicals. The distillery was known as ‘t Lootsje’, a Dutch expression which translates as ‘the little shed’. We’re not suggesting one country invented Genever, then passed it on to another. Historical accounts of distillers will attest to what we know today as Genever being made in several places before this great migration. Merely, that it’s important to note that food shortages and a war ravaged country displaced large portions of the population. These factors shifted the centre of prosperity from Southern Belgian cities further North. Oude Genever does not have to be aged. It’s named “old” as a reference to older more traditional production styles, not the fact that it is aged in a cask. That said, they tend to have an amber hue having spent years in a barrel. As for gluten, many brands and experts will argue that the distillation process removes gluten from the grain. However, people with celiac disease are probably better off not taking the risk as there have been reports that it causes adverse reactions. Whatever the type of jenever, the process will consist of at least two distillates. The first one is a triple-distillation similar to whisky. The chosen ingredients is the deciding factor of what type of jenever is being made. For instance, a predominantly malt grain distillate will result in Oude Jenever.

The fables about Genever actually begin with the Eighty Years War, some decades earlier. In 1585, Queen Elizabeth of England sent 6,000 men to the Low Countries to provide support against the Spanish. By the time the troops arrived in Antwerp however, they were months too late. Nevertheless, during their time there the troops observed a tradition among their Dutch counterparts. The Dutch would sip from small bottles they kept on their belts, after which they fought valiantly – thanks to their “Dutch Courage”. Initially soft with flavours of roasted walnuts, hazelnuts and mild spices. Juniper dominates the crisp middle (much like Bombay Sapphire), and the finish becomes sweeter as cooked fruits make themselves known. Best ServedIn 2004, Bols launched a new ergonomically shaped bottle, developed with the help of bartenders to best suit professional use and even flare bartending - no coincidence perhaps the bottles resemble something between a bowling pin and a juggler’s club. Mr. Piet van Leijenhorst, Master Distiller at Lucas Bols is an expert when it comes to the traditional Dutch spirit Genever. He has many years of experience, crafting delicious liquid gold. If there's anyone who could tell us everything about this mysterious spirit, it would be him. 1. What is Genever? Established in 1575, Lucas Bols distillery has been producing liqueurs for more than 400 years. Bols says it had hundreds of liqueur and spirit recipes under its belt by 1820. Today, Bols’ portfolio includes more than 20 brands in 110 countries. Bols has been producing genever for 354 years Genever is a predecessor to the style of gin that we know as London Dry Gin. Traditionally the base of Genever had a high percentage of Malt Wine (15%-50%), resulting in a spirit that had similar weight on the palate and malty notes like whiskey, and an herbal component that is common with gin. This is the style of Genever that we know as Oude or Old, meaning that it is made in the old style. In modern times, jenever distilled from grain and malt only is labelled Graanjenever. Jonge jenever can contain no more than 15% malt wine and 10 grams of sugar per litre. Oude jenever must contain at least 15% malt wine, but no more than 20 g of sugar per litre. Korenwijn (grain wine) is a drink very similar to the 18th-century-style jenever, and is often matured for a few years in an oak cask; it contains from 51% to 70% malt wine and up to 20 g/L of sugar. Although the name oude jenever does not necessarily mean that the jenever is in fact old, there are some distilleries that age their jenever in oak barrels.