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National drinks can tell a lot of interesting and amazing things about the country. In this sense, the introduction to the Netherlands promises to be particularly entertaining. Its inhabitants have a burning passion for stronger drinks and know a lot about good beer.
The magic of juniper berries
The business card of the Netherlands can rightly be called juniper vodka “Genever”. In translation, jeneverbes, in fact, means “juniper”. It is believed that this drink inspired the British to create the legendary gin.
How to make a genever? It is obtained from a mixture of corn, wheat and rye by distillation with the addition of juniper berries and fragrant herbs. After distillation and filtration, the “malt wine” is aged in oak barrels.
Experts distinguish three categories of genever. Aged straw-colored oude has a sweet-spicy taste. The younger, lighter jonge has a dry, pungent taste. Korenwijn with a large amount of malt alcohol belongs to the premium varieties. Traditionally, genever is drunk in its pure form or with ice. However, it will perfectly complement fried beef sausages, spicy herring and citrus fruits.
The drink of Rebellious Hearts
The Dutch are no less proud of the rum Rebellion, or “Rum Rebellion”. It owes its name to the events of 1808, which took place in Australia. There broke out the only riot in the history of the country. The reason was the decision of the local governor to prohibit the issuance of rum as a salary. By the way, this practice was in the order of things. The initiative provoked a violent protest, which resulted in an armed rebellion. The short-sighted governor was hastily replaced, and the old order was restored.
Dutch rum Rebellion exudes notes of vanilla and wood, and its taste is dominated by juicy fruit shades. Most often you can find two versions of rum — Rebeillion Blanco with a mild aroma and a more mature multi-faceted Rebeillion Black. The jewel of the collection is Rebeillion Spiced with a whole bouquet of spices. This rum is drunk in its pure form or eaten with tropical fruits, cheese and chocolate.
Beer Lovers Club
Dutch beer is respected all over the world. Partly because the traditional Dutch beer has a lot in common with other European varieties: German capuchin beer, Belgian trappist beer and abbey ale.
Perhaps the most popular variety of Dutch foam was and still is Heineken. Light beer with a harmonious taste and signature bitterness is characterized by a soft bread aftertaste. Meat and fish snacks will complement it most organically.
In the Netherlands itself, Amsterdam Mariner beer is deeply revered. This is another European lager with a light grain taste and a pleasant bitterness. Shrimps, mussels, homemade sausages and fried fish will make a good pair for him.
But the beer Oranjeboom is familiar only to true connoisseurs. This unusual variety is endowed with a bright fruity aroma and an expressive taste with citrus motifs. The drink is perfectly combined with vegetable salads and white meat.
Gallery of sparkling tastes
Dutch liqueurs also managed to gain worldwide fame, and largely thanks to the large alcoholic brand Bols. Its line includes dozens of variations for every taste. But the most recognizable and favorite is deservedly recognized as the Blue Curacao liqueur with a subtle citrus aroma and a refreshing taste of red oranges.
Not far behind him is another famous liqueur — Advocaat. This delicious creamy drink charms with a combination of notes of banana, almond and vanilla. The original recipe, imported from Brazil, also featured avocado. But the manufacturers decided to replace it with egg yolks — and they did not lose.
In the collection of Dutch liqueurs, there are still a lot of unusual variations: Lychee liqueur has a subtle aroma of lychee berries; Bols Gold Strike contains a mixture of nuts, forest herbs and roots, and Bols Butterscotch has the taste of a familiar from childhood sticky toffee.
Dutch spirit in a glass
And now we offer you to try cocktails with a Dutch flavor. “Tom Collins” with juniper notes is especially good. Combine 50 ml of genever, 25 ml of lemon juice and 15 ml of sugar syrup in a shaker. Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in 50 ml of soda and the contents of the shaker. Before serving, decorate the cocktail with lime.
Fans of coffee variations will love this mix. Pour 30 ml of genever, 15 ml of coffee liqueur, 1 tsp of syrup into a shaker and shake vigorously. Then add the same amount of genever and liqueur. To make the taste more expressive, 2-3 drops of orange bitter or citrus tincture will help.
Do you prefer berry variations? Try the Proust cocktail. Pour ice into a shaker, pour 30 ml of genever and 15 ml of raspberry liqueur. Shake the mix well, fill the champagne glass and top up with 60 ml of ginger ale. The final touch is the decor of a sprig of mint.
The bar map of Holland will not let anyone get bored, because it contains drinks for every taste, strength and mood. Each of them has a unique history and interesting traditions, and therefore it is not only pleasant to discover the taste of these drinks, but also exciting.