Many of us drink gin and we are in a gin paradise: there is a generation of new gins being created in Europe and across this country. In Brooklyn, for example, there are little micro spots coming up with diverse and grand flavors, for example, Greenhook Ginsmiths who can go glass for glass with anything from London town.
Gin was the basis in the 19th century for the rise of the cocktail in American society, or so the myth goes. Actually, this beverage revolution was not inspired by gin but by genever.
Genever is the national spirit of the The Netherlands. The famed firm Bols began distilling genevers in 1664. Over time, Bols tried many recipes. Then, in 1820, Bols introduced a revolutionary new genever recipe with a more subtle taste, as a result of a better balance of malt wine, neutral grain alcohol and botanicals. This new recipe is the authentic flavor of genever: complex from layers of ingredients, powerful and not subtle, and delectable. Not too sweet, either. No single herb clobbers your nose here.
In addition to being a lively spirit for drinking neat, it is the perfect, powerful vehicle for mixed beverages of all sorts.
Here’s a sample cocktail using Bols Genevers. Visit bolscocktails.com and you’ll find many others.
Yes, you can even do an Enever and Tonic!
Copacabana Sidecar
Yield: 1 large cocktail
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Bols Genever
- 2 ounces Cachaca
- 2 ounces freshly squeeze lime juice
Preparation:
Put the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish, if you wish, with a wedge of lime, lemon or orange.
Source: bolscocktails.com
Photo Information [top picture]: Canon T2i, EFS 60 mm Macro Lens, F/4.5 for 1/20th second at ISO-3200