Two new brands, two new stories
The marketplace for genever is becoming more dynamic, but compared to crowded categories like vodka or gin there’s still room for newcomers to leave their mark
Genever has long played an important role in Dutch culture and once was one of the pre-eminent spirits in the world. But those days are long gone and while genever is gaining traction – not just in its home country but also worldwide – there’s still some way to go. Globally, it remains many steps below gin, the spirit that genever helped birth.
In its home countries of Belgium and the Netherlands, genever is still largely known as an old-fashioned drink better left to older generations. Trying to reach a younger audience is a challenge that brands and marketers from all industries struggle with; genever is no different.
“We believe genever should have a much broader appeal,” says Robin Slegtenhorst,
29, co-founder of Verbond Genever in the Netherlands. He and his business partner Huey Verbeek, 32, recently launched their first release, a so-called ‘jonge genever’ with packaging that combines the shape of traditional ceramic genever bottles with a modern printed glass design. “We can certainly understand why there aren’t many young genever drinkers. You have to do some digging to get past the neutral, vodkalike expressions that have been popular with previous generations. It wasn’t until we did our own research that we discovered there’s a world beyond the bottom-shelf offerings.”
Robin and Huey tried numerous available genevers to pinpoint their own preferences and to find out which part of the marketplace they could corner. While searching for a distillery to collaborate with, they came into contact with John de Lange, master distiller at the established Onder De Boompjes in Schiedam. Together they set out on a journey of several years before they finally decided on the final recipe.
MOLUCCAN HERITAGE
The story of Raymon Kruijs, 30, and Marchiano Sihasale, 29, founders of Barak ’51, is very different. Each of Moluccan descent, they are childhood friends and were raised in households where genever was a part of everyday life. After Indonesia’s independence a community of more than 10,000 Moluccan people was transferred to the Netherlands in the early 1950s. Their preferred drink at the time was sopi, a palm wine not available in the Netherlands. And so, they turned to genever, the Dutch national drink.
“The Moluccas are nicknamed the Spice Islands,” Marchiano explains. “As an alternative to sopi our grandparents macerated Moluccan spices and herbs in Dutch genever. It’s a tradition still upheld by many Moluccan families in the Netherlands. They have their own jar with their own recipe, and they drink it during family gatherings or birthdays.”
The two friends had always dreamed of going into business together. While enjoying a glass of genever during a brainstorm session, they decided to launch their own genever brand and started looking for a distillery to collaborate with. In the end they settled on De Tweekoppige Phoenix, also
known for Kever Genever. Raymon says, “[Master distiller] Arthur Kruijt from De Tweekoppige Phoenix has a fine reputation and he loved our story. Also, he turned out to be familiar with Moluccan history, so there was an instant connection.”
FINDING AN AUDIENCE
Barak ’51 is named after the barracks where many Moluccans were first housed in the mid-20th century. It’s made from 15 per cent malt wine and an assortment of spices. Some are very traditional to genever, such as juniper berries and coriander seeds; others are inspired by the flavours Raymon and Marchiano grew up with, like djeruk purut (fresh kaffir lime leaves) and cengkeh (dried cloves). “What happens in Moluccan homes has a certain amateurish charm – it’s never an exact recipe,” says Raymon.
Upon launch in late 2020, Barak ’51 was immediately embraced. Word of mouth was huge and the first batch sold out in a matter of days. It works as a standalone drink but also in cocktails like a Mojito or Daquiri. For Raymon and Marchiano it’s now a matter of finding an audience outside their tightly knit Moluccan community. Raymon says, “Genever is popular among Moluccan youth, but we believe there’s a market outside of that group. We notice young people making the switch from vodka to genever, especially after they’ve had a taste.”
Comparatively, Verbond Genever doesn’t have the same built-in audience. The closure of bars and cafés certainly was a major setback. And yet, Robin and Huey too have been pleasantly surprised by demand so far. After two and a half years of trials, they’ve made a subtle, accessible jonge genever letting the malt wine do a lot of the heavy lifting. A handful of undisclosed botanicals was used, all traditional to genever. It was designed to be enjoyed as a boilermaker or in a long cocktail – it works especially well with ginger beer and ginger ale.
Robin and Huey have a confident outlook on genever’s future. “People that taste our genever are surprised and generally love it,” says Robin. “But we don’t have the illusion that we can do it by ourselves. We would love to collectively build the genever category together with other brands.”