I made lemonade… with genever – and here’s the amazing recipe
Wildly popular in America, new to the Netherlands: Hard Lemonade. Never heard of it? Ketel1 is here to wake you up: this fresh summer drink is going to become a huge trend. Let’s mix!
Genever has a bit of an old-man image, despite all the delicious flavors, hip tastings and advertising campaigns of recent years. While gin and tonics can’t be kept in stock, champagne is being drunk by tough rappers and tequila belongs to adventures that end with a new tattoo and embarrassing photos on social media, genever still makes us think of those little stemmed glasses with a bulb on the glass. What a shame, because genever is delicious, quintessentially Dutch and, moreover, the godfather of gin. Time to give that historic drink a bit of an upgrade. Enter: hard lemonade!
Young or aged?
Ketel1 genever is clear and colorless, with a clean, fresh taste and a smooth finish. Ketel 1 Matuur is a blend of young and aged grain genever, matured in oak barrels. This gives it a richer, more complex flavor. At Ketel1, they make hard lemonade with young genever. Isn’t that a waste? Carel Nolet, a tenth-generation genever distiller, doesn’t think so. ‘The quality of a genever definitely affects the flavor of a mixed drink. With a smooth genever, a mix tastes wonderfully fresh.’
Hard lemonade – tasty?
Super tasty! Fresh, slightly sweet, with a spicy kick after every sip (because yes, that genever does contain 35 percent alcohol), followed by that delicious lemon flavor—it makes you want more. You can probably also make hard lemonade with other syrups: what if we used elderflower syrup? Or something with rose flavor? Homemade lime and mint syrup? The Pinkyrose lemonade syrup recommended by Ketel1 is made in the Netherlands and is available in more exciting flavors than the classic lemon syrup. How about Chili Grapefruit or Spiced Lemon & Rose with genever and a few ice cubes? Ahhh… that bottle won’t be empty for a long time!
How to make hard lemonade
- Put the ice cubes in a glass.
- Add 1 part Ketel1 genever.
- Add 1 part lemonade syrup, such as Pinkyrose Straight Lemon, a refreshing lemon lemonade.
- Fill the glass with 3 parts sparkling water or tonic.
- Garnish with a slice of lemon and lime.
