Distilling, the art of smelling

Sometimes, very occasionally, a book comes out that you simply cannot ignore. Distilling, the art of smelling by genever and liqueur distiller Fenny van Wees is one such book. In this substantial volume, Van Wees tells the remarkable history of her Amsterdam family business.

Fenny van Wees grew up among the bottles and copper stills of the Ooievaar distillery in Amsterdam. A special place where, since the late 1970s, artisanal distilling has been at the heart of the operation under the inspired leadership of her father, Cees van Wees. Or as Youp van ’t Hek describes it in his foreword: “This magical piece of Amsterdam, this splendid piece of the Jordaan where time has truly stood still and where it’s not only good to linger, but where they also make splendid drinks.”

Genever

Those splendid drinks have now been made for more than fifteen years under Fenny’s watchful eye. As the fourth generation, she took over the reins from her father in 2002. No one has mastered the Amsterdam art of fine distilling quite like she has. The craft emerged in the eighteenth century as a method of further refining brandy and malt wine, which often had coarse and rustic flavours. The result? Genevers, liqueurs and, last but not least, esprits: edible perfumes for chocolatiers and pastry chefs. That ‘g’ in genever is also a piece of history, by the way: “We have written genever with a g for as long as I can remember, just as it is written in our old recipe books,” says Fenny.

‘Fenny’s childhood memories read like a memoir, but at the same time they are a faithful description of the Jordaan in the 1960s’

Badedas and tomato soup

Fenny herself writes like a rocket, and if she had not followed in her father’s footsteps, we would have offered her a job here in our editorial department. In the first chapter, Fenny delves into the rich history of the family business. She does so in such a mellifluous and precise way that before long you find yourself sitting in the spacious square kitchen of Grandma Hendrika Van Wees – a large, sturdy woman – where it always smelled of books, floor polish, Badedas, Croma, steak tartare and tomato soup. Fenny’s childhood memories read like a memoir, but at the same time they are a faithful description of the Jordaan in the 1960s: from the macaroon biscuits of Beune pastry shop to the broad Jordaan accent of senior butcher Louman.

Too heavy for a woman

Father Cees learned fine distilling at the Ooievaar distillery, which was still based in The Hague at the time. And despite the fact that Fenny had spent her entire life around the family business, her father only taught her the trade in 2002; until then, he considered the craft far too demanding for a woman. Well then, the times they are a changin’ as they say, because daughter Nikki now works in the business too. Fenny: “I am training her to become a distiller, but it is by no means a given that she will take over the company.”

Standard reference

What is certain for Fenny is that the philosophy and the tradition of artisanal distilling must be preserved, whatever happens. This makes the book not only a family chronicle, but also the very first true standard reference work for the distillery. From the rich history of the craft and the distillation process to drinking habits and rituals in our culture, and smelling and tasting in practice; you will read it all in Distilling, the art of smelling.

In short: everything needed to safeguard the Amsterdam craft – something that is fortunately heading in the right direction. In 2016, fine distilling was officially included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, although Fenny goes one step further and advocates legal protection for products: “After all, how can consumers tell the difference between a borrel and a barrel?” Well said Fenny, well said.

WIN

Would you like a chance to win Distilling, the art of smelling by Fenny van Wees? We are giving away two copies. Check out the giveaway on our Facebook page and let us know who you would like to drink a hefty shot of genever with.

Title: Distilling, the art of smelling
Author: Fenny van Wees
Publisher: Uitgeverij Loopvis
Price: €34.95