Jenever

The father of modern day gin, jenever is the traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium, where it is still quite popular. There are two types of jenever: old and young, which classify the distilling technique, not the age of the alcohol. Old jenever (oude jenever), is smoother with a malty taste - it’s oftentimes aged in wood barrels that give the alcohol a malty and smoky essence. The young variety (jonge jenever), uses a more modern distilling technique, and the taste can be quite neutral, with a central flavor of juniper that lends comparison to gin.

Photo via Flickr/Adam Jackson