Genever

A traditional alcoholic beverage, genever is a spirit whose popularity is steadily growing in Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurants. Numerous brands and bottles of genever appear on the wine lists of starred gastronomic restaurants. Genever is a terroir-driven spirit that is winning over more and more consumers around the world. Chefs, sommeliers and bartenders from Michelin-starred restaurants share their selection of the finest genevers on Bestwine • Online. Find the best genevers Discover genevers selected by chefs and sommeliers from Michelin-starred restaurants. A selection made by credible and legitimate professionals to help you find your favourite genever. Buy the best genevers We guide you to the most attractive online deals and promotions. You can buy the best genevers in complete confidence thanks to a reliable and impartial reference. Best genevers With Bestwine • Online, the reference for the best genevers: Taste one of the finest genevers. Gift an exceptional bottle of genever. Enhance your bar or cellar with a prestigious bottle of genever. Find restaurants where you can enjoy rare genever bottles. Discover all the information you need to better understand genever and its particularities so you can easily choose your brand or bottle. Bols Oude Genever Discover the genever — Bols Genever Discover the genever — Ketel 1 Genever Discover the genever — Bobby's Genever Discover the genever — Ketel 1 Matuur Genever Discover the genever — Best genever brands Refer to the opinions of chefs, sommeliers and bartenders from Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide to discover the best genever brands. A ranking and comparison of the brands and bottles of genever most valued in starred gastronomic restaurants by experts in haute cuisine. Genever brand | Origin | Alcohol content Bols Oude Genever | Netherlands | 35° Bols Genever | Netherlands | 42° Ketel 1 Genever | Netherlands | 35° Bobby's Genever | Netherlands | 38° Ketel 1 Matuur Genever | Netherlands | 38° Genevers recommended by chefs, sommeliers and bartenders of Michelin-starred restaurants Definition of genever Definition of genever: genever is a spirit flavoured with juniper berries. The origin of genever dates back to the 1600s. Genever is the ancestor of gin, a spirit also flavoured with juniper berries. The first written mention of genever refers to the work of the Dutch physician Franciscus de le Boë. Genever is therefore believed to originate from the Netherlands. Originally, genever-based potions were made for medicinal purposes. Over time, genever became an alcoholic beverage appreciated for its flavour. Today, genever comes in various aromatised versions. On the market one finds melon, strawberry and even lemon genevers. On the palate, genever offers a floral bouquet as a plant-based spirit. Production of genever Genever holds a European protected designation of origin (PDO). This regulation specifies that genever may be produced from any neutral alcohol of agricultural origin (except for certain specific appellations). This neutral agricultural spirit must be blended with at least 1.5% grain distillate. The latter must be perceptible on the palate. It should be noted that genever was originally produced from grain spirit. Dutch genever has had its own protected appellation since 2008; the "genever" appellation stipulates that the product may only be distilled in the Netherlands from the highest-quality ingredients. Authentic genever is therefore a blend of grains which are milled into flour to release the grain's starch. This flour is then mixed with hot water in which the natural enzymes of barley malt (mainly amylase) break down the starch into sugars. This stage lasts several hours and is called mashing, or the saccharification phase, and yields the wort, a sweet liquid. This wort is then inoculated with yeasts (saccharomyces cerevisiae) which ferment the sugars. This is alcoholic fermentation, during which sugars are converted into alcohol by the yeasts. The alcoholic liquid is then distilled two or three times. A final distillation flavours the liquid with the famous juniper berries to obtain genever. Depending on the brand and recipe, the juniper berry as an aromatic may be accompanied by other plants, spices or fruits such as coriander, fennel, cumin, liquorice, anise, orange peel, almonds and others. Genever may be aged in wooden casks before bottling to enhance its flavour. There are thus genevers classified by ageing time. They are then called old genever. There are 5-, 10-, 15- or even 20-year-old genevers. However, there is no genever vintage. Visually, aged genever may therefore display straw-yellow or even brown hues. The alcohol content of genever ranges from approximately 40° to 50°. This alcohol content is the result of distillation, which involves two or three passes through a still depending on the distillery. As we have seen, this is the stage during which juniper berries are added to the beverage to lend their aroma. Genever can be divided into two categories: · Grain genever: grain genever is produced exclusively from single or blended grain spirits (barley, rye, wheat or oats). · Classic genever: classic genever is produced from any neutral alcohol of agricultural origin. Genever can also be referred to as "old genever" when aged for several months in wooden casks. Drinking genever Genever is mainly consumed in Northern Europe. The juniper berry, the signature plant of this beverage, is typical of north-western European regions. In the past, genever was the drink of workers such as miners and fishermen. Genever was then drunk in the morning, mixed with coffee. It was thought to warm the men and give them courage for difficult jobs. The popularity of genever is culturally rooted in certain regions of Northern European countries where this beverage is a local speciality. In Belgium, genever is popular in Wallonia, particularly in the cities of Hasselt and Liège. Walloon Belgians call genever "Peket". Genever is also popular in the Netherlands. The Dutch town of Schiedam is famously known for its genever. The Dutch call genever "jenever". The English call genever "Dutch gin". Genever is also found in Germany, and in Quebec and New Brunswick, where it is called "gros gin". Genever is traditionally enjoyed as a digestif. As a plant-based drink, genever is ideal to accompany a dessert. Genever can also be enjoyed as an aperitif, especially the finest bottles offering refined flavours. In Michelin-starred restaurants, genever is used by chefs working with traditional cuisine, particularly the French cooking of northern France. Many restaurateurs use genever to flavour their dishes (pâtés, terrines, waffles, potjevleesch, etc.). Genever can also be used to deglaze or flavour a sauce, as well as to flambé a dish. Bartenders may serve genever neat for enthusiasts of this spirit, particularly long-aged bottles. Genever is also an ingredient in several cocktail recipes such as the "Carnaval de Dunkerque" or the "genever tonic". However, the use of genever in cocktails is rarer than gin because it is highly aromatic. A terroir-driven spirit, genever is greatly appreciated by enthusiasts and spirits experts alike. Genever brands There are many genever brands. They all share one thing in common: they come from one of the 39 distilleries spread across 3 countries: Belgium, with 19 distilleries that produce genever, the Netherlands, with 17 distilleries that produce genever, and France, with 2 distilleries that produce genever. Among the well-known and respected genever brands: 1836, Bols, Coppercraft, De Borgen, Distillerie de Biercée, Distillerie de Gervin, Druenne, Filliers, Houblonesse, Persyn, Petterman, Raerener Töpfergeist, Rutte, Smeets, Sant Pol, Sylvius and Wambrechies. The mission of Bestwine • Online is to share with you the choices of chefs, sommeliers and bartenders from Michelin-starred restaurants so you can easily choose your genever brand or bottle. Take advantage of the experience and opinion of these haute-cuisine professionals to choose your genever. An authentic ranking and comparison to choose your genever Choose the best genever for you: Select one or more selection criteria for your genever according to your preferences. Rank the genevers according to your selection criteria. Select your genever reference. Buy one of the best genevers online at the best price. Enjoy one of the best genevers! The selection of premium genevers How are genevers selected on Bestwine • Online? Bestwine • Online lists the genevers featured on the wine lists and in the cellars of the most renowned gastronomic restaurants around the world. Genever references championed by the greatest chefs and sommeliers of fine dining, themselves acclaimed by critics. Only genever references sold online are presented to you so you can buy them easily. How is the directory of the best genevers updated? The directory of the best genevers is updated daily by adding new references from the wine lists of gastronomic restaurants made available to us. Likewise, we update commercial offers and promotions so you can buy quality genever online at the best price. We are committed to presenting only genever references from the wine lists of award-winning gastronomic restaurants.