A spirit distilled from grain or sugar cane molasses; the Dutch genever is considered the forerunner. The name is derived from the French "genévrier" (juniper). A juniper schnapps called genever was first mentioned in the 17th century by the Dutch doctor Franciscus Sylvius (1614-1672).
When William III of Orange-Nassau (1650-1702) ascended the English throne in 1689, he brought jenever with him from his homeland. He made the production of juniper schnapps tax-free and at the same time imposed high taxes on the import of French alcoholic beverages. English soldiers who supported the Dutch in the Dutch-Spanish War also brought this spirit to the British Isles, where it was given the name gin. In 1690, a decree stipulated that gin could only be produced from English grain. In 1697, a gin distillery was first mentioned in writing in England in a former monastery in Plymouth.
![]()
As honorary chairman of the Domäne Wachau, it is the easiest and quickest way for me to access the wein.plus encyclopaedia when I have questions. The certainty of receiving well-founded and up-to-date information here makes it an indispensable guide.
Hans-Georg Schwarz
Ehrenobmann der Domäne Wachau (Wachau)