Tasted & Approved: Dutch Newcomers #1
As a self-proclaimed drinks oracle of the nation, it delights me to see the Dutch drinks industry so full of movement. New drinks brands are emerging, old recipes are being rediscovered and improved. New visions for drinks such as vermouth, vodka, gin, genever and even tonic are seeing the light of day.
text: Ingmar Voerman > this article previously appeared on ingmardrinkt.nl
CATZ Dry gin
Yet another gin: CATZ gin is the creation of Dick Kraak, Tom Jongen and Sjef Molenaar, veterans of the Dutch drinks industry. They joined forces with master distiller Ad van der Lee of Herman Jansen in Schiedam. Why this gin is still worth trying among all those other gins is, first and foremost, its funky alcohol percentage of 48.2%. This gives the gin real substance, with a full nose in which juniper and bergamot take center stage, followed by a colorful procession of botanicals. On the palate, the fruity and sweet notes of citrus fruit and juniper continue, extended by coriander seeds and warm spices. The gin gradually becomes drier and says goodbye with a spicy, lingering finish and a hint of cayenne pepper. Because writing about a spirit without a cocktail recipe is so dry, here is the CATZ Dry Gin & Tonic.
CATZ Dry Gin & Tonic
50ml CATZ Dry Gin
150 ml ‘premium’ Indian Tonic Water
Fill a copa or highball glass with ice. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and then squeeze it into the glass. Pour the gin into the glass and top with tonic. Garnish with a stick of liquorice and stir briefly.
The Stillery’s First
The Stillery’s First is a vodka created by founders and young Amsterdam natives Robin F. Karels and Pascal Peeters. The latter may also call himself Master Distiller. Distillation currently takes place at the Two-Headed Phoenix in Zaandam, where the men produce small batches in a copper still. The grain used for this vodka is called ‘dinklewheat’ in English; unfortunately, the Dutch translation ‘spelt’ has a somewhat Rens Kroes-like aftertaste. I don’t mean that literally, by the way—I have no idea what Rens Kroes tastes like. If I did know, I would only share it with you at the age of 70, when my autobiography ‘Ingmar Drank’ is published.
Spelt works wonderfully as a base in the vodka, and together with the artisanal distillation it creates a vodka with marzipan and almond notes on the nose, a creamy, full and sweet palate that, with a little imagination, brings you to notes of milk chocolate, and a soft finish with a slight tingle. The men behind The Stillery are far from fully distilled; they are working to realize their dream of their own distillery and are also happily barrel-aging their vodka. Keep an eye on them.
Signature Mokum Mule
35ml The Stillery’s First
100ml Ginger Ale
1 Dash Walnut Bitters
Fill a copper mug or rocks glass with ice, then add the vodka and ginger ale. Finish with a dash of walnut bitters. Stir briefly and garnish with a slice of ginger.
Fever -Tree X Sergio Herman
Two years ago, Fever-tree’s Tim Warrilow and Charles Rolls began a collaboration with the much-praised Dutch (half-Flemish) star chef Sergio Herman, and recently the result was presented at Sergio’s restaurant The Jane (**) in Antwerp. Fever-tree Clementine Tonic Water with Cinnamon is literally and figuratively quite a mouthful: a tonic with fresh citrus notes of clementine and a spicy, warm hint of cinnamon, which is particularly prominent on the nose.
A major advantage of this tonic (in my opinion) is that it dries out nicely and is slightly less sweet overall than ‘regular’ Fever-Tree tonic. It is a soft, rounded tonic with a Mediterranean touch. According to the brand, the tonic was inspired by the original holiday destination, Ibiza.
I drank this tonic at The Jane in the Clementine & Basil Love, a powerful mix with Wilderen Double You Gin, lemon juice, grated carrot, basil and orange zest.
Clementine & Basil Love by Sergio Herman
45 ml Dry Gin
20 ml fresh lemon juice
150 ml Fever-tree Clementine & Cinnamon Tonic Water
Fill a large wine glass halfway with ice cubes, then pour in the gin and lemon juice. Top with the tonic and stir briefly. Garnish with grated carrot, orange peel and basil leaves.
Next week, part two of the Dutch newcomers.
