Lucky for us at the UT, we have our very own jenever aficionado, Rogier Helmus, who explains, 'Jenever is to Holland, like Ouzo is to Greece, like Whiskey is to Scotland, like Raki is to Turkey, and like Sake is to Japan. It's our traditional drink.'
Rogier created his own web page devoted to jenever three years ago (http://www.drink.to/jenever) in a half-serious effort to 'reintroduce jenever into the student culture.' Until the 1970s, jenever had been a typical student's drink, after all it has high alcohol content and a low price. But interest in this traditional drink has waned, due in part to the introduction of fruity, pre-packaged drinks like Bacardi Breezers. Rogier and his friends founded a jenever club, organized workshops, and conducted tasting sessions. They investigated the history of jenever, explained the distillation process, and recounted jenever-based anecdotes.
Distilled grain alcohol was very popular in Holland in the 16th century. Jenever, as we know it today, was born in the pharmacy of Sylvius de Bouve, a chemist, alchemist, renowned scholar and professor at the University of Leiden (Rogier points out that there is still some discrepancy as to the place of origin; some experts still insist that it originated in Belgium). Sylvius reduced the rate of alcohol in the grain jenever and added the flavor of juniper berries. He sold the beverage under the name Genova, as a remedy against lumbago muscular pain (1595). In the 17th century, jenever ceased to be used exclusively for medicinal purposes and became a commonly consumed beverage. In countries without vineyards, jenever and beer were substitutes of wine.
This is just one version of jenever's history. Rogier avers that it dates to as early as the mid-14th century during the time of the Black Plague. At that time people died from bacteria carried by food and drinking water. Because bacteria were killed in the distilling process of jenever, it 'was therefore a drink to keep you healthy,' explains Rogier. Hence the origin of the saying in Old Dutch: 'Jenever in den morgenstond, verfrist en maakt den maagh gesond,' which translates roughly to 'A jenever in the morning wakes you and keeps your stomach healthy.'
Rogier also suggests that jenever helped sailors combat scurvy. When they embarked on long journeys, they were given rations of jenever infused with lemon juice as a source of vitamin C. Two cups a day kept sailors healthy and most likely very happy.
Have you heard of the phrase 'Dutch courage'? That also can betraced to jenever, according to Rogier. Story has it that when Dutchmen went off to battle, they first drank lots of jenever to fortify them with the necessary courage to fight.
Today there are myriad ways to drink jenever. However, Rogier insists 'You have to drink it ice cold. And no ice-cubes! If you think it's too bitter you can add one small spoonful of sugar - my grandfather used to do this.' Of the scores of brands of jenever, Rogier recommends Hooghoudt and Kettel 1. He prefers young ('jong') jenever to old ('oude') and explains that the difference comes not from the aging process as in scotch but in the differing base ingredients.
In addition to drinking jenever straight, there are also some great mixed drinks, for instance: Straaljager, jenever and bitter lemon; Kopstoot ('bump to the head'), a pint of beer accompanied by a glass of jenever; Duikbootje ('submarine'), putting a glass of jenever into a pint glass of beer (Rogier warns, 'This way with each sip of beer you get a sip of jenever; you can quite drunk with this one!')
For international students who want to try the authentic jenever-drinking experience, try the typical brown cafÚ De Hoppe at Spui 18-20 in Amsterdam where jenever is served ice cold, in glasses fresh from the freezer. Prost!
