Genever is the most popular spirit in Holland, but odds are you’ve never heard of it. Genever is actually the grandfather of gin. It was one of the first spirits to use juniper berry in a botanical mix, the same key ingredient in today’s gin, but genever isn’t gin. In many ways, it shares as many characteristics with whiskey as it does gin.

The heart and soul of genever is an ingredient called malt wine, which is basically a mix of rye, wheat, and corn that has been long fermented and then distilled (much like whiskey). The big difference between malt wine and the mash used for whiskey is that the malt wine is typically fermented longer, which gives it flavors and characteristics that are unique. This long fermentation is tricky because it’s very possible for things to go very wrong with batches in long fermentation.

The fermented and distilled malt wine is combined with neutral spirits and a distilled botanical mix (which includes juniper, hops, angelica root, licorice, and a number of other herbs and spices) to make genever. There are a few different official classifications for genever which focus on the amount of malt wine. Young Genever has less than 15% malt wine, and Old Genever has at least 15% but no more than 60%. These terms refer to styles of genever, not aging.

In the United States, the best-selling genever comes from the Lucas Bols company.  Bols Genever is an “old” style genever with nearly 60% malt wine.  While you can taste the juniper and spices in Bols Genever, they are really there to support the wonderful maltiness of the malt wine, which has light, whiskey-like character to it.  Bols Genever is an easy stand-in for many classic gin cocktails, but I enjoy it best as a Kopstootje (Dutch for “little head butt”), the Dutch equivalent of a beer and a shot.  Instead of knocking back genever, it’s generally sipped or slurped from tulip-shaped glasses, which is actually a lot of fun.

Bols recently released an aged version of its genever in the US market called Barrel Aged Bols Genever. This genever has actually been aged in French oak for at least 18 months and has some of the spicier qualities of a whiskey. The Barrel Aged Bols Genever is a good stand-in for classic whiskey cocktails and it’s exceptional as an upscale alternative to “Jack and Coke.”

Genever is a fantastic spirit category that most people haven’t yet explored but should.