Jenever is based on grain
Jenever is a traditional grain distillate from the Low Countries, with the juniper berry as a characteristic ingredient. It is the historical predecessor of gin, but its character is fundamentally different.
Where modern gin is made from neutral alcohol (96% vol.) to which botanicals are added, jenever starts with the base: grain.
And you can taste that.
The soul of jenever: malt wine
The core of real jenever ismalt wine.
Malt wine is a grain distillate that is intentionally not distilled to full neutrality. Instead of rectifying to 96% vol., the distillate remains lower in alcohol percentage. This allows flavour compounds from the grain to be retained:
bready notes
maltiness
light sweetness
structure and body
This makes jenever rounder, fuller, and more complex than gin. The juniper berry is present, but works in harmony with the grain — not on top.
For us in the distillery, this means: working with the character of the grain. Rye produces a very different jenever than if you distil with, for example, spelt.
The juniper berry: recognisable but not dominant
The juniper berry gives gin its name and spicy signature. Resinous, fresh, slightly citrusy.
But unlike many gins, the juniper berry in gin is part of a larger whole. It is not an explosion of botanicals, but a balance between grain and spice.
This makes gin particularly suitable for drinking neat. At room temperature. Lightly chilled. Or simply as a classic chaser alongside a good glass of beer.
The gin from Stokerij Soestdijk
For us, gin is:
working with organically grown grain
searching for the character of the grain
distilling with patience
tuning the juniper berry and other botanicals to the grain
From our Five Grains Genever to special local variants: everything starts with the basics. Grain. Fermentation. Distillation. Patience. From grain to glass.
Taste the difference
Do you really want to understand what gin is? Then you have to taste it.
Not as a quick shot. But as a craft distillate with a story.
Come by the distillery, join us for a tasting and discover for yourself why gin is not a precursor to gin — but a proud category of its own.
