Origin of the Soester artisanal distillery
Distillery Soestdijk began as many beautiful things do: with curiosity, a shed, and the urge to create the perfect drink. What started as a hobby project of Ran grew into a fully-fledged artisanal distillery with a distinctive character — rooted in Soest and driven by a love for pure, honest ingredients.
A shed, a boiler, and a big idea
Ten years ago, Ran began experimenting with distilling in his shed. No shiny installations or professional equipment, but a self-built boiler from an old heater and one clear goal: the perfect chaser alongside his beer. Simple, honest, and above all, tasty.
Soon a new question followed: must a good drink necessarily be made from grain? That thought marked the beginning of a series of experiments with special local ingredients. Soester tubers, chicory roots, sweet chestnuts — everything that nature around Soest had to offer found its way into the boiler sooner or later. Some experiments were a revelation, others quietly disappeared down the drain. What remained were distinctive and quirky distillates that you won't find anywhere else.
When the passion outgrew the shed, the step was taken to a legal, professional distillery. Distillery Soestdijk was a fact.
What can you do with hawthorn?
Somewhere in the autumn of 2023, Martin called with a question that sounded like music to Ran's ears: can we make something tasty from hawthorn? The answer was as simple as it was effective: come over, we'll have a drink and we'll distill a nice beverage from it.
Thus it happened. The experiment succeeded, the distillate surprised — and Martin was sold. The distilling virus had struck again. And the hawthorn Brand is still in the range.
From study object to distillery
Richard initially came in with a different purpose. For his marketing course, he was looking for an interesting practical project, and Distillery Soestdijk seemed like a nice case. What followed were long conversations with Ran and Martin about what the distillery stands for, sustainability, local roots and future plans. Gradually, the realisation grew: this is more than a study assignment. This has potential.
With the three of them, things went quickly. The distillers followed the training to become certified distillers at the National Jenever Museum in Schiedam — the place in the Netherlands to learn the distilling trade from the ground up. The recognition was not long in coming: the Zoesdijck Five Grains Genever won awards at the World Drinks Awards, one of the most prestigious international drinks competitions.
From hobby still to professional installation
Last year marked a new milestone. The homemade boiler still made way for a professional 150-litre au-bain-marie Kovodel still. An investment that is immediately noticeable in the glass: more control over the process, more consistency in quality and even more refinement in each distillate.
From grain to glass. From barn to distillery.
With craftsmanship, curiosity and a healthy dose of courage.
