Genever in Amsterdam is a centuries-old tradition, and though many in the Netherlands may still see it as something their parents enjoyed, it has enjoyed a steady rebirth globally over the past several years. The typical London dry gin we know today was derived from genever by the British, and has a sweeter profile from using a copper pot-still to distill its whisky-like malt of corn, wheat and rye, along with the spirit's signature juniper berry, star anise and coriander.
Related: Beer and a Shot, Via the Netherlands
At Door 74, a hidden bar near central Amsterdam, bartender Helena Henneveld crafted a sour variation using one of Bols' recent releases, De Drie Papegaaien Corenwyn. It's an aged genever named after one of the famous Dutch East India Company ships used to bring spices from Asia centuries ago, and subsequently carries licorice and cinnamon flavors. Combined with the bright citrus of blood orange, the bite of ginger, Cointreau to add complexity and egg white to add a drying texture, this drink balances the round, yet spicy flavors of the Corenwyn well.
Though finding the Bols Corenwyn bottles in the U.S. may prove far more difficult than finding Door 74 in Amsterdam, substituting with their barrel-aged genever would also work well for this drink. Given genever's softer character, it's great for experimentation in cocktails and on its own. Think of it more as a whisky, however, than having the brightness of a gin. For the "Fast Running Break," be advised that it lives up to its name and will not stay in your glass for long.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces Bols De Drie Papegaaien Corenwyn Genever
- 3/4 ounce homemade blood orange & ginger syrup
- 3/4 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau
- 2 dashes The Bitter Truth Creole Bitters
- egg white
for the syrup
- 4 cups blood orange juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound sugar
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh ginger
Directions
- Pour liquid ingredients in the small shaker tin, with the egg white on its own in the larger.
- Combine two tins and shake without ice for 5 seconds before opening the tins.
- Add ice to large tin and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a blood orange wedge and roadrunner (optional).
For the syrup:
- Juice four cups of blood orange and add a cup of water.
- Add 1 pound of sugar, to taste depending on citrus quality (it should be sweet, but not overpower the citrus).
- Add in 1 cup of ginger cubes and let sit for several hours (to taste).
- Strain and store for future use.
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