M IXXI T

WI TH

G IN & G EN EVER

The air! Isnt it wonderful?

Yeah, its like a shot of gin.
It makes your blood race, your
face numb and your spirits soar.
Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
The African Queen, 1951

MIXXIT WITH GIN

2 & GENEVER

Gin and genever perhaps have a more chequered history

than any other spirit: from the earliest medicinal uses
by 12th century Italian monks via Dutch Courage
and Gin Lane to golf club respectability and finally
rebirth as a cool cocktail spirit in the 1990s.
Gins history links juniper spirits with every aspect of the
human experience: tragedy, squalor, snobbery and valour.
From its early manifestation in medieval juniper-based plague
cures, it arrived on our shores during the thirty years war,
when British soldiers would drink Dutch Courage before going
into battle.
Decades later, it faced the moral outrage of Hogarths
Gin Lane and went on to build a reputation as Mothers Ruin,
then became set in its ways as the tipple of choice in the golf
clubs of Middle England before cutting through again in
popularity as the burgeoning bar scene looked for the perfect
base spirit.

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

with Gin & Genever

Hogarths Gin Lane

Gins legacy now seems to be somewhat timeless but this

truly European spirit has an intriguing rags to riches story.
After the experiments of the early Benedictine monks, in the
early 16th century brandy based juniper spirit called
schinkenhgen was produced in what is now Germany.
It wasnt until the mid 17th century that a Dutch Professor
of medicine, Franciscus Sylvius de la Boe of Lieden University
pioneered the art of distilling grain spirit with juniper to
create eau-de-vie-de-genievre, a tonic then believed to cure
kidney problems.
The spirit we know today as gin derived from the juniper
flavoured malt wine spirit born in Holland and was introduced
to us by William of Orange when he took to the throne of
England in 1688. He began to ban imported brandies and
wines from France and, as whiskies were relatively unknown
outside Scotland and Ireland, he began to encourage the
production of genever in its local form made from grain
alcohol that was soon to be corrupted to gin. Distilling of
English gin then began around various docks throughout the
country such as London, Plymouth, Bristol and Liverpool.
4

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

In England in the early part of the

18th century, low taxes led to widespread
distilling of cheap grain alcohol, resulting
in many back street distilleries operating
in London slums. Street vendors began
peddling in cheap gin flavoured with
lethal ingredients, with many of Londons
houses becoming gin shops. This caused
widespread drunkenness and resulted in
a major alcohol problem amongst the
poor where babies were often born with
deformities earning gin the nickname
of Mothers Ruin.
From the 1740s a series of gin acts
were passed by Parliament to control
the level of drunkenness by restricting
the production and vending of gin.
(This is one of the reasons why gin
distilleries today cannot produce their
own grain spirit.) These acts gave rise
to a return to beer consumption, and
the rise of the classic British pub.

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

By the 1830s and the introduction of continuous

distillation, the government once again permitted the
free trading of gin by allowing gin distillers to control the
production of grain spirit accompanied by a healthy tax.
This led to the distillers competing with pubs and saw
the birth of opulent establishments known as Gin Palaces.
Charles Dickens described these palaces as perfectly dazzling
when contrasted with the darkness and dirt we have just left.
Gin quickly became both acceptable and fashionable again
and became known by Cockney Londoners as Mothers Milk
or Parliamentary Brandy.
As gin rose from the gutter to become the sophisticated
tipple of British aristocracy it also became associated, alongside
rum, as a drink of the Royal Navy. Naval Officers often mixed
it with bitters to make Pink Gin which was taken to settle
seasickness.

Gin & Genever timeline

Dutch Courage, Mothers Ruin, Mothers Milk
the history of gin and genever is a colourful, thoughtprovoking account of social change and advancing
technology through the years.
MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER
8

Juniper

King Haakon of Norway

1269
First major mention
of juniper-based
health related tonics
and medicines in a
Dutch publication
Der Naturen Bloeme
by Jacob van Maerlant
te Damme.

* *

Vlad the Impaler

1552
Constelijck Distilleer
Boek by Philippus
Hermanni
mentions
genever aqua vitae
referring to
genever-infused
brandy.

***
1337
The Hundred
Years War
begins as
Edward III of
England lays
claim to the
French throne.

1263
The Battle of Largs
- King Alexander
III of Scotland
defeats the Viking
armada of King
Haakon IV of
Norway.

Lucas Bols

1575
Bols family,
then named
Bulsius arrive
in Amsterdam,
having learned
distilling in
Cologne.

***
1557
The Equals
sign is invented
by Welsh
mathematician
Robert Recorde.

1476
Vlad III, Prince of
Wallachia dies.
More commonly
known as Vlad the
Impaler, he was the
inspiration for
Bram Stokers
novel Dracula.
9

1587
At Fotheringhay
Castle in
England, Mary,
Queen of Scots
is beheaded.
1585
The Spanish
conquest of the
Aztecs in South
America brings
many interesting
foodstuffs back
to Europe,
including
chocolate.

Genever

Dutch East India Company

Charles I

1602
The Dutch East India Company founded.
Lucas Bols becomes a preferred supplier to
its inner circle, The Seventeen Gentlemen,
and also gets first crack at all the new
herbs and spices flooding back to Europe.
The sailors and officers of the company
spread genever all around the globe,
receiving daily half-pint rations of genever
in a specially measured pewter cup.

**
1599
The Globe
Theatre, most
famously
associated
with William
Shakespeare
opens in
London.

* *

Bols Lootsje

1646
Lucas Bols
gets a licence
to distil spirits
in the city of
Amsterdam.

** *
1622
Dutch East India
Company ship The
Eendracht, is wrecked
off the western coast
of Ambon Island,
Dutch East Indies.
The Eendracht was the
second ship to have
made landfall on
Australian soil.

1649
King Charles I
of England,
Scotland and
Ireland is
beheaded.
1648
The Battle of
Stirling between the
Marquis of Argylls
Covenanters and
the Earl of Lanarks
Parliamentarians.

1607
The first permanent
settlement in what is now the United States is
formed in Jamestown by English colonists.
10

Charles II

Rob Roy MacGregor

Dodo

1658 - 1672
Franciscus Sylvius de la Boe becomes professor
of medicine at Leiden University, Holland.
Nowadays he is widely, and incorrectly,
credited as having invented genever, which
was already common when he was born in
1614. De la Boes position in Leiden would
have meant he used juniper for its healthgiving properties, building on the success of
the health tonics distilled in Italy in the 1500s.

**

Peter the Great

1672
The Van Dale
dictionary,
Hollands OED,
notes the first
published use
of the word
genever then
spelled with a j.

**
1671
Scottish folk hero Rob Roy
MacGregor is born at Glengyle.

1665
A municipal government is
established in the former
Dutch settlement of New
Amsterdam - New York.
1660
Charles II is crowned King of England
after a decade of rule by Oliver
Cromwell and the Puritans. Often
known as The Merrie Monarch,
Charles crowning signified the
beginning of The Restoration.
11

1682
The reign of
Peter the Great
officially begins
expanding
Tsarist Russia
into the Russian
Empire and
creating a major
European power
and influence.
1681
The last Dodo dies
on the island of
Mauritius, thus
marking it as an
extinct species.

William III

James II

Berry Bros. & Rudd

1688
William III ascends to the
English throne, and gin
distilling increases. Initially
gin is very similar to genever,
but over time it develops a
distinctive style, eliminating
malt wine. The ban of wines
and spirits from France
encourages the distilling
industry creating a Gin Craze.

1692
The infamous Salem
witch trials begin in
Salem Village,
Massachusetts Bay
Colony. The trial
was immortalised
in modern culture
as The Crucible, by
playwright Arthur
Miller.
1690
King William III of England
defeats the deposed James II
at the Battle of the Boyne,
north of Dublin.

Hogarths Gin Lane

1698
Berry Bros.
& Rudd
established at
No.3 St Jamess
Street in
London. This
unique address
later inspires
the creation
of No.3 Gin.

1751
Hogarths prints
of Beer Street
and Gin Lane
depict squalor
and social
depravation
caused by
the huge
consumption
of cheap gin.

*
1746
Prince Charles Edward
Stuart (Bonnie Prince
Charlie) flees to the
Isle of Skye after the
unsuccessful Jacobite
rising and escapes the
country after being
disguised as an Irish
maid by Flora
MacDonald.

1698
The Palace of Whitehall in
London is destroyed by fire.

12

Original Kings Cross

Charles Dickens

1780
Langdales Gin
Distillery, famed
for distilling essence
of cinnamon to
treat the common
cold, burns to the
ground during riots
in London.

** *

Gin Palace

Queen Victoria

1830
The first Gin Palace - Thomson and
Fearon - is built in London at Holborn
Hill. Designed by architect John
Papworth, the interior is thought to
have been created by Stephen Geary
who also designed the ornate
catacombs at Highgate Cemetery
and the original Kings Cross - one
of Londons first police stations.

1812
Novelist Charles
Dickens is born
in Portsmouth.

1838
Queen Victorias coronation
takes place at Westminster
Abbey in London.
1837
18-year-old Queen Victoria accedes
to the throne of the United Kingdom.
She reigns for more than 63 years.

1785
The dollar
becomes the
monetary
unit for the
United States.

1834
The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833
abolishes slavery in the British Empire.
1831
The Hunchback of Notre Dame,
by Victor Hugo is first published.
13

Grimbles Malt Vinegar

Pat Garrett

1840
Booth & Grimbles
Distillery opens
in London,
initially
producing gin.
With left over
spirit, they create
Grimbles Vinegar
which becomes a
household name.

** *
1846
Neptune is
observed for
the first time
by German
astronomers.
1843
The Economist
newspaper is
first published.

The New York Times

1850s
With the developments
and popularity of
continuous distillation
many gin distillers begin
to use a high quality clean
grain spirit base for gin
production without having
to add sugar leading to the
style of gin we know today
as London Dry.

The Indian Mutiny

1851
Hodges
Distillery
establish their
own private
fire brigade
and the
creation of
the first fire
lookout tower
in London.

* *
1850
Pat Garrett, the
legendary US
lawman and sheriff
is born. Garrett is
most famously
known for his
pursuit and killing
of the renowned
outlaw Billy the Kid.

1840
The worlds first postage stamp,
The Penny Black, comes into circulation.

14

1851
The New York
Times is
founded.

1850
American Express
is founded by
Henry Wells and
William Fargo.

Gilbeys Gin

Earthenware gin bottles

1871
Gilbeys Gin founded
by Sir Walter Gilbeys
family of wine and
spirits merchants in
Camden Town. This
is also where the first
Soda Stream was
created by Walters
grandson Guy Hugh
Gilbey in 1903.

* *

Jack the Ripper, Punch

**

1886
As a birthday
gift, Burma
is presented
to Queen
Victoria, after
the country is
annexed into
British India.

Vincent van Gogh

1890s
Gin bottles start being made from clear
glass, after being originally sold in cask
or earthenware bottles used by genever
producers. Bols had developed the first
elongated bottle made from frosted green
glass that was then copied by many gin
distillers. As glass making technology
improved this allowed glass bottles to
become clear to show the clarity and
purity of the liquid that was held inside.

**
1890
The Dutch artist
Vincent Van Gogh,
dies after shooting
himself in the
stomach.

1899
FC Barcelona
is founded.
1896
The X-ray machine
is first exhibited.

1888
Prostitute Martha Tabram is
found murdered in Whitechapel,
London - the first victim of
the notorious Jack the Ripper.

15

Adolf Hitler

Al Capone

Prohibition

Omaha Beach, WWII

1920-1933
Prohibition in America - a nationwide ban on the sale,
production, importation, and transportation of alcohol.
As a result, clandestine drinking was rife and cocktail culture
flourished, whilst on the other side of the Atlantic many great
bartenders and wealthy Americans fled to cities like London
and Paris to work and drink in style. Some classic drinks recipes
were spawned during this turbulent period in history, many of
which are still popular today - The White Lady, The Clover Club,
The French 75 and The Negroni.

*
1920-1933
The Chicago underworld is
controlled by Al Capone who
profits indirectly from
Prohibition with an estimated
US$100 million per year in
revenue, generated by the sale
of liquor and other illegal
enterprises, such as gambling
and prostitution.
1920
Adolf Hitler becomes chief of
propaganda of The German Workers
Party. Shortly after it renames itself as
the Nazi Party.
16

*
1939-1945
WWII, the most
widespread war
in history with
an estimated
50 to 85 million
fatalities.

1938
Oil is discovered
in Saudi Arabia.

Bols advertising

Fidel Castro

Bols advertising

The Bartenders Guide

1950 onward
Jonge jenever made using less malt wine and more
neutral spirits, typically grain alcohol for the better
brands and molasses alcohol for the less expensive ones,
enjoys unbelievable popularity. To this day, a Bols-owned
brand of jonge jenever, Hartevelt, outsells the entire
vodka category in Holland, selling more than three
million standard cases per year in Holland.

***

*
1959
Fidel Castro becomes
Premier of Cuba
overthrowing the
dictatorship of Batista
and transforming the
country into a one-party
socialist republic.

1957
The Cavern Club, soon
to become associated
with The Beatles, opens
its doors in Liverpool.
17

*
1973
Dark Side of the
Moon is released
by Pink Floyd.

1969
The lunar module Eagle
lands on the moon. Watched
by an estimated 500 million
people worldwide, Neil
Armstrong takes his historic
first steps.

Bols Genever

Bols Genever

Bols Genever

2008
Bols Genever is relaunched in the UK - a precious whisky-like triple
grain distillate made of corn, wheat and rye, which the Dutch
call maltwine. The attention to detail in the distillation process
is comparable to a fine single malt Scotch. Research by Dave
Wondrich is revealed which shows that the majority of gin based
drinks in Jerry Thomas era were made with Hollands, as genever
was once known. The relaunch of Bols Genever gives todays
bartender the opportunity to create cocktails from 1862 and
resurrect flavours that have not been experienced for generations.

** *

*
2008
US swimmer
Michael
Phelps wins
eight gold
medals at
the Beijing
Olympics.

*
2008
Bill Gates
departs his post
as chairman
of Microsoft.

*
2009
NASA launches
the Kepler space
observatory to
survey extrasolar
planets in the
Milky Way.
2009
Barack Obama is
inaugurated as the
44th, and first
African-American,
President of the
United States.

2008
Fidel Castro steps down
as President of Cuba.
2008
Beijing, China hosts the
summer olympics.
18

No.3 Gin

No.3 Gin

2010
Berry Bros. & Rudd
release No.3 Gin,
a premium London
Dry Gin created
with the help of
Dr David Clutton, one
of the worlds foremost
authorities on gin.

Juniper

2010 onwards
Today we are in a midst of a second
but more refined Gin Craze. Gin is
becoming popular throughout the
world with a multitude of different
styles hitting the market and even
more exciting and diverse drinks
being created as a result.

* *
2010
WikiLeaks leaks a
collection of more
than 100,000 American
classified cables,
sparking a worldwide
security panic.

Gin cocktails

2013
A series of 3 portraits
of Lucian Freud by
the British painter
Francis Bacon, sells for
US$142.4 million in
New York, setting a
new world record.
2011
15,840 people are killed and
3,926 are reported missing
after a 9.0-magnitude
earthquake and subsequent
tsunami hit the east coast
of Japan.

2010
A number of volcanic
eruptions beneath
Mount Eyjafjallajkull,
in Iceland cause
widespread air traffic
chaos across northern
and western Europe.
19

Gin and genever is

heavily featured in
the first ever printed
bartenders guide
How to Mix Drinks
or The Bon-Vivants
Companion, 1862
written by Jerry
Professor Thomas.
20

Gin & Genever and cocktails

Gin and genever have a huge array of complexities in
their style and flavour, making them key ingredients
in creating great drinks.
When the Golden Age of Cocktails kicked off in the latter
part of the 19th century, gin and in particular genever
quickly became classic Cocktail ingredients. Indeed, gin and
genever is heavily featured in the first ever printed bartenders
guide How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivants Companion, 1862
written by Jerry Professor Thomas. Many gin cocktails listed
within his guides are still prevalent today The Martinez,
The Fancy Gin Cocktail, The Holland House, The Gin Daisy,
The Gin Fix, The Gin Fizz, The Gin Crusta, The Gin Sling,
and The Collins.
Gin as the chosen cocktail ingredient again made its
mark during Prohibition America (1920-1933) when cocktail
culture and gin drinks flourished on both sides of the Atlantic,
spawning many classic recipes still popular today such as
The White Lady, The Clover Club, The French 75, and
The Negroni.
21

There can be no better spirit to use to recreate the classic

cocktails of the 19th century: Dutch genever was a mainstay
of cocktail-making in America in the 1860s. In the first book
of bartending, The Bartenders Guide, Jerry Thomas specifies
Hollands Gin for many of his recipes, often offering Old Tom
as an alternative to make a different drink.
It is wise to follow this advice when using Bols Genever
- not a mere gin replacement, but a category in itself which
is a subtle and intriguing cocktail base.

23

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

Bols Genever is a superior and premium old school

genever, based on the original 1820 Bols Genever recipe
which conquered the world and helped define cocktails
during their first Golden Age in the 19th century.

Bols Genever production secrets

The smooth, subtle, malty flavour of this white spirit comes
from using over 50% malt wine, which is made from longfermented, rye, corn and wheat, triple-distilled in copper
pot stills. The use of pot stills provides a surprisingly full
mouth-feel and rich flavour for a white spirit. This malt wine,
the heart of good genever, is then infused with a carefully
selected distillate of juniper and other botanicals.
Inspired by the past, recreated for today. Like its
packaging - a stylish iconic smoke glass bottle based on the
shape of the original Bols clay jugs and featuring authentic
Amsterdam-style handwritten typography.

24

Taste profile

Nose
Fresh herbs and spices,
malt characteristics.
Palate
Herbal, spicy and grassy
notes, with hints of
fresh-baked bread and
juniper berries.
Finish
Smooth, malty.

25

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

Appearance
Crystal clear.

Bols Genever essential serves

AMSTERDAMMER
Essential Build
1. Take a clean highball glass
2. Fill with fresh, solid ice cubes
3. Squeeze in a wedge of lime and drop
it into the glass
4. Measure in 25ml Bols Genever
5. Top up with fresh ginger beer, stir and serve
Each Amsterdammer contains 1 unit of alcohol.

HOLLAND HOUSE
Essential Shake
1. Add 25ml Bols Genever, 25ml dry vermouth,
12.5ml fresh lemon juice and 5ml Maraschino
liqueur to a clean Boston glass
2. Fill the Boston with fresh, solid ice cubes
3. Shake vigorously for 10-12 seconds
4. Carefully open shaker and place Hawthorne
strainer over the top
5. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass or
coup, garnish with an orange zest and serve
Each Holland House contains approximately 1.5 units
of alcohol.

26

IMPROVED HOLLAND
GIN COCKTAIL
Essential Stir
1. Fill a clean mixing glass with fresh,
solid ice cubes
2. Add 2 dashes orange bitters, 50ml Bols
Genever, 2 dashes Bols Dry Orange Curaao
and 10ml sugar syrup
3. Place a barspoon down the inside of the glass
and stir briskly for around 25 seconds
5. Rim a cocktail glass with lemon, strain in
the cocktail, garnish with a twist of lemon
zest, and serve
Each Improved Holland Gin Cocktail contains
approximately 2.5 units of alcohol.

DUTCH COURAGE
Essential Swizzle
1. Take a clean highball glass and fill it
with fresh, solid ice cubes
2. Squeeze in a wedge of lemon and drop
it into the glass
3. Measure in 25ml Bols Genever
4. Top up with pressed apple juice
5. Garnish with seasonal berries, drizzle in
12.5ml Bols Crme de Cassis, and serve
Each Dutch Courage contains approximately 1.5 units
of alcohol.

27

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

4. Place a Julep strainer over the top

No.3 is unmistakably traditional London Dry Gin. By traditional

we mean gin that tastes as gin should: with juniper at its heart.
We are determined that No.3 will be the last word in gin for a Dry
Martini cocktail.
To achieve this we asked one of the worlds authorities in the art
and science of gin distillation, Dr David Clutton, as well as a panel
of gin specialists, writers and mixologists to help us.
SIMON BERRY
Chairman, Berry Bros. & Rudd

29

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

No.3 London Dry Gin is distilled to a proprietary recipe

of Berry Bros & Rudd, Londons oldest wine and spirit
merchant. The name No.3 refers to the address in
St Jamess Street, London: the home of Berry Bros since
1698. Berry Bros. & Rudd currently holds Royal
Warrants for H.M. The Queen and H.R.H The Prince
of Wales.

A taste of tradition
The resulting liquid, with juniper as its bedrock, is the absolute
embodiment of what a London Dry Gin should be. Put simply,
it is a taste of tradition. Juniper, from Italy, not only gives gin
its name, but also the unmistakable gin taste of pine and
lavender. Sweet Spanish orange peel provides freshness in the
form of clean, crisp citrus. Grapefruit peel gives an extra zingy
lift. Angelica root delivers an earthy quality and helps to make
the gin dry. Moroccan coriander seed releases a lemon flavour
and a spicy, slightly peppery finish. And finally, cardamom
pods add a spicy, aromatic warm bite.
No.3 London Dry Gin is distilled at one of Hollands
oldest distilleries owned by a family firm which like Berry
Bros. & Rudd, has over 300 years of experience and know-how.
No.3 Gin is the only London Dry Gin that they distil.
The production is overseen by gin expert - Dr David Clutton
who brings unparalleled experience in gin production in
order to guarantee the perfect result.

30

Taste profile

Palate
Juniper to the fore, supported
by floral notes and spicy, warm
cardamom. Plenty of citrus
zing complemented by the
gingery spiciness of coriander.
Finish
The earthy dryness of angelica
kicks in.

31

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

Nose
Bright, crisp and fresh with an
uplifting welcome of juniper.

No.3 Gin essential serves

NO.3 & T
Essential Build
1. Take a clean highball glass
2. Fill with fresh, solid ice cubes
3. Squeeze in a wedge of lemon
and drop it into the glass
4. Measure in 50ml No.3 Gin
5. Top up with fresh tonic, stir and serve
Each No.3 & T contains approximately 2 units
of alcohol.

NO.3 NEGRONI
Essential Stir
1. Mix together 35ml No.3 Gin, 35ml red
vermouth and 35ml Campari bitters in
the bottom of an old-fashioned glass
2. Add 5 or 6 fresh, solid ice cubes and
stir briskly and stylishly for 20 seconds
with a barspoon
3. Leaving the barspoon in the glass,
add more ice cubes
4. Stir again, for another 30 seconds
5. Top with more ice, garnish with orange
and lemon zest, and serve
Each No.3 Negroni contains approximately 3 units
of alcohol.

32

FRENCH 75
Essential Shake
1. Add 25ml No.3 Gin, 25ml freshly
squeezed lemon juice and 10ml
gomme syrup to an empty Boston
shaker glass
2. Fill shaker glass with cubed ice,
place shaker tin overtop and
seal tightly
3. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds
4. Carefully open Boston shaker
and place Hawthorne strainer
over the top
5. Fine strain into a pre-chilled
champagne glass, top up with
champagne, garnish with a grignotine
cherry or lemon peel and serve
Each French 75 contains approximately
1 unit of alcohol.

33

The Key
The key on the bottle was inspired by
the key to the lock in the door of
The Parlour at the heart of the shop
at No.3 St Jamess Street.
The Parlour, in many ways, is the
inner sanctum of No.3 St Jamess Street.
It is one of the oldest chambers in the
shop; a room that is steeped in history
and tradition.
The No.3 key therefore unlocks the
secrets and traditions of an extraordinary
institution and symbolises our values of
quality, authority and integrity.

34

MIXXIT WITH GIN & GENEVER

For more liquid inspiration log onto:

www.mixxit.co.uk