Old Dutch drinks

Dutch spirits are hot. Cocktails with genever and Dutch gin are now impossible to imagine away. But there are also liqueurs you see much less often. At distilleries A. van Wees and De Ooievaar in Amsterdam, these drinks are still sold. Here’s a selection from the range. Have you ever heard of bruidstranen or guldenwater, for example?

Hansje in de kelder

Cherries, vanilla, cinnamon, roses and lemon. What’s not to love? And the name is at least as delightful. In the past, it was customary in Amsterdam to serve this liqueur when a pregnancy was announced. A miniature baby was placed in the silver cup.

Kraamanijs

Once the child had been born, people toasted with kraamanijs. You can compare it to liquid muisjes, so you can leave that box of rusks in the cupboard.

Hemel op aarde

This Jordaan liqueur is best compared to a liquid cherry bonbon with almond flavours. In earlier times, it was mainly served as a Christmas liqueur. We would certainly love to see this tradition return.

Hempje licht op

During the days of our successful seafaring era, this drink was used for intestinal problems. It certainly got things moving. The English also drank a similar liqueur, but they called it limey juice. That is where the derogatory term for the English comes from: limeys. The secret ingredient was primarily citrus.

Bruidstranen

This special drink contains pieces of silver and gold leaf, which can only predict a beautiful marriage. This liqueur contains almonds, nutmeg, cinnamon and oranges. Newlyweds drink it with their guests to celebrate the marriage. According to tradition, a clever woman fills her husband’s glass with bruidstranen when she disagrees with something. Through this silent hint, the man is reminded of his vows.

Guldenwater

Guldenwater was the first liqueur distilled in Amsterdam and was copied all over the world. The name refers to merchants who drank it to disguise their worries. It reduced tension and softened their suffering. The gold floating through the bottle provides pleasant distraction and hope for better (golden) times.

Vergeet mij niet

Women gave this to their loved ones who went to sea. The label bore the words ‘Vergeet mij niet’. The idea was for the sailor to open the bottle in the first port far from home. Violets and lavender give this liqueur a distinctive character.