Mix gin and jenever like a pro? Here’s how:
I recently visited Rutte & Zn in Dordrecht. No, that’s not a side job for our prime minister, but an artisanal distillery where master distiller Myriam Hendrickx has been developing amazing drinks since 2003. Think of a gin-jenever hybrid and celery gin. She’s also a whiz at creative food pairings. So I seized my chance and immediately asked her for some advice.
Until 2003, Rutte & Zn was run by the Rutte family, particularly the men. By now, the tables have turned and it is mainly women who work there. Myriam: “It wasn’t a conscious decision, although they do say that women taste better than men.”
Most proud of
Be that as it may, Myriam has since developed special new versions of old recipes. “I’m most proud of the Old Tom. It’s a hundred-year-old recipe, created by Anton, the fifth-generation Rutte. In 1918, he made it from grain and seven ingredients, including orange leaves, cinnamon and wormwood. It’s a cross between a fresh, young jenever and a classic gin. We added a touch of malt wine, making it a gin like the kind that was enjoyed before dry gin existed.”
Pair like a pro
Myriam: “When you’re looking for a wine to go with your food, you look for a match. With gin and jenever, you’re looking for a contrast. Our celery gin, for example, works really well with oysters and herring. The mouthfeel should contrast: the dryness of the gin in your mouth against the fattiness of the herring or oysters, that coating, fatty mouthfeel. That’s why it also works well with cheese and sausage.
Mix like a pro
Myriam: “Of course, we all know gin and tonic, but tonic and jenever don’t work well together. It’s too bitter for that. Jenever, on the other hand, works very well with ginger ale. It brings the perfect spiciness and the much-needed sugar and acidity. In fact, that’s also what tonic does for gin. Our Old Simon jenever also works really well with lemon soda.”
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