We can go places and spend time there. We can revisit the same place at different times. But revisiting the same time can only be done when time is recorded in one way or the other. Now there are ways to do this, now more than ever. Yet in the 1200s those ways were limited, and in the past 800 years some of those records got lost or corrupted. When telling Genever's origin story we are at the mercy of the doctors, the scientists and the early distillers of the 13th century, the literate few.
Forgive us if, in telling this story, we play a little fast and loose with the facts. The thing is, the story has been told too many times already. What we know for a fact, however, is that Genever comes from the Dutch word for juniper berry, jeneverbes. The first documented use of juniper, as a medicine, comes from Flanders, near Bruges, back when Belgium wasn't Belgium and wars still had to be fought to unite the provinces of the Netherlands.
As a spirits enthusiast, you may know juniper as one of the key ingredients in gin. And you may know gin because, well, you don't live under a rock, you have a bustling social life and a keen sense of your surroundings. What I'm trying to say is: gin is everywhere. Well, right up until the 1690s, Genever was everywhere.
A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON
Sixteen-something, the year that is. We, the Dutch, plagued and plundered the earth, only to set sail for home when our ships would not hold any more booty. Just like any seafaring nation at the time, we did well, a Golden Age indeed. We were also fighting a costly war with Spain, which lasted 80 years. This pressure cooker of circumstances made for a time of discovery and invention.
So the Dutch got really good at stuff. Distillation, for example. Genever in particular. "Dutch Courage" it was mockingly called at the battlefront by the many English mercenaries fighting side by side with the Dutch. These guns for hire brought the taste of malt wine and juniper back to England.
Boatloads of freshly distilled Genever were shipped across the North Sea. Then, in 1690, when the demand for Genever was high, the crown intervened. In an attempt to lower their dependency on Dutch Genever, the English ended the gilded distillers' monopoly. As a result, many small craft distilleries opened all over Britain. Lacking the expertise, their spirit wasn't as good as the Dutch Genever, so they named it gin.
YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG
There are two styles of Genever: old and young. We've briefly discussed the story of old Genever. Young-style Genever, just like old, is also a child of war. Traditionally, Genever contains quite some malt wine, a flavourful distillate with a rich, malty taste. It was during the Second World War, when shortages in grain supplies throughout the country caused distillers to get creative. They started using other products, like molasses, a thick blackish leftover from sugar production, as a basis for their Genevers. With this new, improvised way of production two categories were born: old and young, or new-style, Genever.
THE STILLERY'S OUWE
So we spent a little time talking about the stuff of old. But what makes The Stillery's Ouwe an "old style" Genever? Its name is a wonderful example of Amsterdam slang and has not much to do with the literal meaning of ouwe. And "old", as just explained, refers not to the age of the spirit inside but to the old ways of preparation.
Bureaucracy brought us some strict rules to adhere to. Old-style Genever must contain a minimum of 15% malt wine. Since everything spelt is our M.O., we decided to use 27% spelt malt wine as a basis. The recipe further contains two kinds of hops distillates, Amarillo and Citra, which add a certain freshness to the profile. We used poppy seeds for the body and an almond distillate for warmth.
Now, to add some more fuel to the blazing fire of confusion: we do age our old-style Genever, called Ouwe. At least three months, usually six, in ex-bourbon casks, and some casks get to sleep a little longer. The cask gives the spirit a touch of vanilla and caramel and a pale golden colour. You may have noticed a glimmer of green too: this comes from an extra tincture of Citra hops.
HEY OUWE
In Amsterdam, "Ey Ouwe" is something uttered in enthusiasm at first sight of an old pal, a buddy, an "ouwe pik, ouwe pijp". Freely translated, "Ouwe" is like "you son of a gun", but an "Ouwe" could also be your dad, your old man, the skipper, the captain, the chief. Basically it means "old", but don't be offended. Get a bottle and celebrate with Ouwe.
HOW TO DRINK OUWE
The Amsterdam way: a kopstootje. A tulip glass of Ouwe, filled to the brim, with a cold, hoppy pale ale on the side. The first sip you take without lifting the glass: bend over, hands behind your back. Then a sip of beer, and the hops in the Genever find the hops in the beer. Feeling fancy? Stir a Martinez, the grandfather of the martini: 45 ml Ouwe, 45 ml sweet vermouth, 5 ml maraschino and two dashes of orange bitters, on ice, into a chilled coupe.
The judges liked it too: Best Dutch Genever at the World Gin Awards 2021, and Silver with 90 points at the IWSC 2020.
You can order Ouwe straight away in our webshop!