Dutch family distillery Hooghoudt is looking to launch its artisanal De Borgen brand of jenever (Holland gin or Dutch gin) on the international market.
Jenever is the national drink of the Netherlands and Belgium from which modern gin evolved. According to Hooghoudt, the Netherlands was one of the first European countries to develop a large-scale, commercial distillation industry. Between 1500 and 1700, every noteworthy city had a jenever or liqueur distillery, with England becoming an important export market from 1570 onwards.
At the beginning of the 17th century, it is said that no Dutch ship left the harbour without a supply of jenever. In the Netherlands during the 1630s, jenever was consumed by English soldiers to calm their nerves before battle; they renamed the drink “Dutch Courage” and then shortened it to gin, before introducing it to their homeland.
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De Borgen Holland Gin is said to offer a taste of the original English national drink |
Initially, English gin tasted almost identical to Dutch jenever: punchy, sweet and aromatic, often flavoured with spices such as cloves and myrrh – ingredients that are also used in modern jenever production. However, many years later jenever and gin went their separate ways.
According to Hooghoudt, its De Borgen Holland Gin offers a taste of the original English national drink, and the entire range was designed to bring this “rich history of Dutch distillation to life”.
Hooghoudt General Manager Arno Donkersloot added: “Now that gin is under the international spotlight, we feel the urge to confirm jenever’s rightful historical place as the godfather of all gins. Where the Dutch went, jenever went with them.”
The Hooghoudt family distillery was founded in 1888 by Grietje and Hero Jan Hooghoudt, taking shape in a cellar on the Oosterstraat in the Netherlands province of Grongingen. The De Borgen brand name is a reference to the term used for the the stately homes of noblemen in Grongingen; Borgen stands for the strong, down-to-earth nature of the region. The Hooghoudt family distillery claims to be one of the last independent jenever distilleries still in existence.
De Borgen offers a range of new jenever concepts, inspired by the original liqueur and handmade in-house by Master Distiller Frank Leystra in small quantities. The assortment includes the Bruine Jenever, the Rijke Jenevers No. 24, No. 45 and No. 67, and the Premium Jenever.
The company said it is focusing on international travellers and the top segment of bartenders.
For more information, contact Sander Meijerink, Export Manager, Hooghoudt; tel: +31 (0) 50 542 00 00; e-mail: sander.meijerink@hooghoudt.nl.
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De Borgen offers a range of new jenever concepts, inspired by the original liqueur and handmade in-house by Master Distiller Frank Leystra in small quantities | ||
