ABOUT BY THE DUTCH


 

Our goal is to broaden the international awareness of traditional handcrafted and premium spirits of the Dutch heritage. Our spirits are crafted in full respect of the Dutch tradition and bring to your senses the finest products our country has to offer. We have included a description about the origin and methods of production onto our labels, so that any consumer can really know what they are about to taste. Our packaging is designed to be educative, in a vintage style depicting the old craftsmanship behind our products.

 

“By the Dutch” was born in September 2015 to tell a story to the world.
A story of tradition and craftsmanship.

 

Dutch Spirits

The traditional Dutch Spirits are doing extremely well these days. The producers are working hard refining their products. The reputation of Dutch Spirits keeps growing abroad; their quality is increasingly recognized and appreciated by an expanding group of consumers and professionals.

The knowledge around the products within the Dutch Distilleries is transferred from father to children. Over the years, knowledge deepened and improved, without making any concession to traditional production methods. Love for the product, timing, sense of ingredients and flavor and an excellent nose are qualities that have been passed through generations for centuries.

It is for this reason that the Netherlands have always played a leading role in the world of fine spirits. The Dutch were the first to master the art of making excellent spirit from agricultural products. The Dutch were the first liqueur producers in the world and spread their technology across the world.

The quality and richness of the Dutch luxury spirits has a rich history, many consumers and professionals locally and abroad have already discovered this treasure!

Old Genever

Genever, also known as jenever, jeneva, geneva or hollands is a juniper-flavored spirit of protected designation of origin, mostly made in Holland and Belgium.

We specifically chose to bring Old Genever under the spotlight because this spirit has such a great and rich history. In fact, its story goes way back. Old Genever – Oude Jenever in Dutch – is probably the most emblematic spirit of our country. It is what people refer to when they speak of “Dutch Courage”. The legend goes that this term was coined during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) by English troops, who were amazed by the strength Genever gave to their Dutch allies in the fight against the Spanish Army. Englishmen would later bring this spirit back home, elaborating a more neutral version, today known as Gin.

Read more about Genever >

Batavia Arrack

Batavia Arrack is a distillate based on sugar-cane molasses, produced exclusively on the island of Java, Indonesia.

We had to include this special distillate into ‘By the Dutch’ selection because this Rum has such a strong connection with The Netherlands. It’s part of the Dutch heritage, as it was first brought to Europe by Dutch East Indies Trading Company (VOC). The trade of this spirit remained in Dutch hands for a long time.

During the XIII century Batavia Arrack was very popular in Europe, especially in Sweden as one of the main ingredients of Swedish punch; unfortunately, its usage as a drink was lost and it’s nowadays more commonly used as a mere ingredient of punch and liqueurs or as a flavoring in various types of food and confectionery products. Our ambition is to make Batavia Arrack popular again, as it’s such a unique spirit with a long history.

Read more about its history>

 

Dry Gin

Gin is a distillate that has a strong connection with Dutch history, although few people know about its ancient roots, found in Dutch Genever.

Launched in May 2017, By the Dutch Gin was born to bring the heritage of this distillate under the spotlight. It is batch distilled in Schiedam, home town of Genever, and features 8 botanicals of the tradition. Perhaps a bit nostalgic of its ancestor’s smooth notes, it retains a touch of malt that makes it very special in its kind.

Learn about the origins of Gin >