BY CAMPER ENGLISH

Madam Geneva

The Bar-Tender’s Guide: How to Mix Drinks, the very first cocktail book, was published in 1862 by one Jerry Thomas. In the book, Thomas lists many gin drinks, usually specifying the type of gin to be used in each. Back then there were a few styles of gin to choose from: Holland gin, or genever; old Tom gin; and later, London dry gin that is the main style of today. Genever tastes very little like the gins with which we are familiar: I think it’s easiest to describe it as a combination of gin and whisky. Yes, it’s definitely strange, but can be truly wonderful in specific cocktails. In Holland, where genever originated and is still popular, it is usually sipped straight, but the new Bols Genever was launched specifically to mix into cocktails like this vintage one from the age of Jerry Thomas.

The Improved Holland Gin Cocktail

2 ounces Bols Genever
3 dashes rich simple syrup
2 dashes orange bitters
1 dash orange curacao (triple sec)
Slice of lemon peel for garnish

To make rich simple syrup, heat one part water and two parts sugar in a saucepan until sugar dissolves. Store and cool in the refrigerator between uses. Shake or stir all ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel over the glass then drop it in for garnish.