A Brief History of Jenever, the Dutch Gin

Although jenever is commonly compared to gin, historical sources suggest that this aromatic, delicious liquor actually predates its main competitor by several centuries. In fact, records show that jenever has been produced inside the Netherlands and Belgium since at least the 13th century and became the Dutch drink par excellence around the time of the Glorious Revolution.
During the Dutch Golden Age, distilling alcohol developed into a full-blown industry. Despite being highly alcoholic, drinks like jenever were sold as medicine and proscribed by pharmacists in order to treat a wide range of ailments such as gout, gallstones and lumbago. The Dutch government eventually cottoned onto jenever’s less remedial effects and began to levy taxes on its production around 1606.
In 1688, the Dutch King, William of Orange, successfully invaded England and became the country’s monarch. After his ascension, traders began to import an increasing amount of jenever into England. These exchanges likely led to the creation of gin and the liquor shares many qualities with jenever, including its main base – juniper berries.