Go Dutch with Bols Genever

Go Dutch with Bols Genever

As the Netherlands moves into the final round of the World Cup this Sunday for the first time since 1978, the Dutch are keen to showcase their favorite traditions to the world with help from Bols Genever, which reigns as the number one spirit in the Netherlands.

“This is a most exciting time for the Dutch as we have not reached the World Cup finals since 1978,” said Tal Nadari, Managing Director, Lucas Bols, USA. Working for Lucas Bols, being the epithomy of a Dutch company as it is one of the oldest Dutch companies still active, as a Dutchman living in the states, I am excited to don my orange jersey and settle in with my fellow Dutchmen and now American friends, who have started loving soccer so much more than ever before, for the Dutch drinking tradition of kopstootjes (Genever with a beer back) for all the games played and now this weekend’s final round of the World Cup. We are taking this opportunity to share some of our country’s best traditions with the world, with help from Bols Genever”

Bols Genever’s recent popularity in the US has catapulted the brand into the category of favorite new spirits. A rediscovered classic cocktail spirit, Bols Genever combines the mixability of vodka and the taste of whiskey, resulting in a smooth malty taste that is both powerful and delicious.

Found behind back bars as a staple cocktail ingredient, the traditional way to imbibe Bols Genever is in shot form. Drinking this shot with a glass of beer is known as a Kopstootje (little head butt) which is very fitting for soccer fans. A Dutch ritual for over two centuries, the Kopstootje tulip glass is filled to the rim, slurped, shot then followed by a Pilsner beer.

Donning the national Orange soccer jerseys in celebration of this exciting feat, Dutch lovers worldwide are invited to celebrate the heritage of the Netherlands, with ten ideas from Bols Genever to enhance the spirit of Dutch celebration:

1. Go Dutch: Encourage customers to split the cost of a bottle of Bols Genever with friends.
2. “Bols for Goals”: Have drink specials that celebrate with a Kopstootje during every Dutch score.
3. Drink specials for customers in clogs: Dutch clogs are officially marked as the country’s “safety shoes” due to swampy ground and the abundance of “klompen” wood – such as willow and poplar.
4. Introduce yourself Dutch Style: Buy a stranger a shot of Bols Genever and a beer, known as a Koopstootje, and have them return the favor.
5. Encourage patrons to ride bikes to your venue: Holland is famous for its 20 million bicycle riders. In New York, ask for valet-bike parking at ACE Hotel, Bar Tonic and Café Select. In San Francisco, park at the recently opened Brickyard. In Boston: Ride on up to Harvard Gardens. In Portland: The Hob Knob Grille.
6. Create an Orange Cocktail for the Dutch national color – Orange 11 – named after the Dutch Royal family: Celebrate with a traditional Dutch Cocktail, such as the Orange Collin
   
   Click here for the recipe on our Mixology page!

   
   

7. Be a Flower Child: Drinks specials for patrons donning an orange shirt or a tulip in their hair.
8. Drop a Hint: Place decorative clogs on the table as centerpieces and fill them with Dutch chocolates or “drops”: This black sweet is a combination of sugar, sal ammoniac, gum arabic and liquorice root extract.
9. Winning Feels Gouda! Serve a traditional Dutch feast of pickled herring, Gouda and Edam Cheeses. Cool off, Post-Game: With a nod to the Dutch, nod off with a nap under a windmill.

In the early 19th century, the world’s best bartenders used four base distilled spirits for cocktails: brandy, rum, whiskey and genever. The recipe for the Bols Genever we drink today was created in 1820. Lucas Bols, the Dutch producer of Bols Genever, has been distilling spirits since 1575.

Click here for more information about Bols Genever