Top pairing: Rutte Dutch Dry Gin with herring
Rutte has been an expert in creating and distilling high-quality botanical-based spirits with 100% natural ingredients for almost 150 years. Take the ‘new’ Rutte Dutch Dry Gin. A wonderfully smooth gin in an incredible bottle that also happens to combine fantastically with herring – double Dutch.
Rutte & Zn is still located in the original building, in the heart of Dordrecht, where Simon Rutte started in 1872 and where master distiller Myriam Hendrickx has been developing incredible drinks since 2003. Rutte used to be very much a man’s world, but these days it is mainly women who work there. According to Myriam, that is not intentional, ‘although they do say women taste better than men.’ In any case, at Rutte all the flavor and color comes from fresh fruit, herbs, spices, nuts and peels; unique in the world of spirits.
Rutte Dutch Dry Gin
When I saw Rutte’s latest addition, Dutch Dry Gin, I was immediately enthusiastic, because what a beautiful bottle. This gin is not actually new; it is the award-winning Rutte Celery Gin in a new outfit. Although the recipe has remained the same, there have been a few changes. The gin is now distilled with organic botanicals (such as juniper, coriander, angelica, cardamom and leaf celery), and fresh peels are used, from hand-peeled organic oranges. The use of fresh citrus fruit is unique in the gin world.
Classic: a G&T
Rutte’s Dutch Dry Gin has a spicy, fresh flavor and is perfect as the base for a classic Gin & Tonic: fill a highball glass with ice cubes, pour 50ml Rutte Dutch Dry Gin over the ice and top with a good dry tonic (such as Fever-Tree). Garnish with a lime wedge and there you go. Always delicious, if you ask me.
And did you know that you can also eat perfectly well with cocktails? Cocktails are still often seen as an aperitif or digestif, but through distillation and aging in wood, spirits contain very special flavors that you can easily serve something alongside.
Gin with herring
Above all, seek out the contrast; Dutch Dry Gin works very well with oysters and herring. The dryness of the gin in your mouth against the richness of the herring or oysters—the coating, fatty mouthfeel works perfectly. Dutch Dry Gin also pairs perfectly with cheese and sausage.
No hangover later
Rutte’s renewed Dutch Dry Gin costs 24.99 euros and is widely available (including at Gall&Gall). And good news: gin and tonic barely give you a hangover—yes, that has actually been researched, and not just by me 😉
Also read:
