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Protected status for Dutch 'jenever' liquor

by Klaas den Tek*

28-11-2007

The alcoholic drink jenever can no longer be made anywhere but in the Netherlands, Belgium and a couple of German and French provinces. The European Union has granted the name of the Dutch gin-like drink "geographically protected designation" status. The initiative to make this happen was taken by former Agriculture Minister Cees Veerman who first proposed that Brussels accord the special status a year ago.

The drink is the favourite liquor in the Netherlands, according to recent figures about a quarter of the liquor consumed by the Dutch is 'young jenever'. Moreover, the country is the main producer of this beverage. The Netherlands produces and consumes twice as much of it as the number two of the jenever world, Belgium.

Jenever comes in bottles or stone jars   What is jenever?
  • A colourless or very pale brown drink, containing
    35 percent of alcohol.
  • Taken as aperitif or digestive
  • The taste comes from juniper berries
  • Locally, the drink is known by various names: pikketanissie, dröpke, neut, schiedammer, jonge klare, to name a few. Its earliest name is aqua juniperi
  • There is 'young' and 'old' jenever. The 'old' recipe is based on grain malt, 'young' jenever is based on melasses alcohol. Most jenever sold is of the 'young' variety. Its more neutral taste is generally preferred to the prominent aroma of 'old' jenever.

Weak stuff
In fact the Dutch have been trying to get a monopoly on jenever production for years. The weaker Belgium version is seen as being far inferior.

The secretary of the distilled drinks producers' association, Joep Stassen, says:

"We quarrelled endlessly with the Belgians, even ending up at the European Court of Justice. In the end the Court decided that making jenever in the slightly different way of the Belgians is acceptable. We finally settled our differences with Belgium; and now, jenever is a protected product in both countries, as well as some provinces in France and Germany."

National drink

Jenever is an age-old beverage. It was invented when juniper berries (hence the name) were added to brandy. The concoction is said to have been developed in the search for a new medicine. The story is that Dutch chemist, alchemist and scientist Franciscus de le Boë Sylvius, made it in his laboratory in 1660, but no-one knows for sure.

Jenever quickly became the Netherlands' national drink. Jenever distilleries mushroomed in cities like Schiedam, Amsterdam and Groningen. In its heyday, Schiedam had hundreds of distilleries - now there are only four. Joep Stassen says the Dutch are still proud of the drink:

"Where liquor is concerned, every country boasts its own national product. When you ask a Dutchman what his national drink is, he mentions jenever. Despite the rise of mixed drinks, this liquor remains popular."

Other countries, too, are working towards protection of regional products. Greece has acquired sole rights to the name of ouzo, and France is claiming certain kinds of rum.

RNW translation (rk)

 

Tags: alcohol, drink, jenever, liquor, regional

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