Jenever · Explainer
How do you drink jenever?
Jenever is drunk from a 3 to 5 cl tulip glass, filled to the brim. Serve jonge jenever chilled from the fridge. Serve oude jenever and corenwijn at room temperature, because a cold drink gives off less aroma. If you taste several kinds in a row, start with the youngest and finish with the oldest. From 18 years.
In brief
The key figures
| Glass | Stemmed tulip glass, 3 to 5 cl |
|---|---|
| Serving | To the brim; take the first sip with the glass on the table |
| Young jenever | Chilled, from the fridge |
| Oude jenever and corenwijn | At room temperature |
| Order with several kinds | From young to old |
| Difference between jonge and oude | The proportion of malt wine, not the maturation time |
| Minimum for spirits | 15% alcohol, Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787 |
| Age limit | 18 jaar, NIX18 |
What glass do you drink jenever from?
From a stemmed tulip glass of 3 to 5 cl, filled to the brim.
The tulip shape holds the aroma in the glass and the stem ensures that your hand does not warm the drink. The glass is filled so full that you cannot lift it without spilling; that is why you take the first sip with the glass on the table. A wide tumbler works less well, because the aroma escapes immediately. For corenwijn some people use a small round stemmed glass.
At what temperature do you serve jonge jenever?
Serve jonge jenever chilled, straight from the fridge.
Keep the bottle upright in the fridge door and only pour once the glass is on the table. A cold drink gives off less aroma, and with jonge jenever that is no loss, because its composition is more neutral than that of oude jenever. The freezer is not needed. Jonge jenever on the shelf in Bathmen is usually 35 per cent, with some bottles higher. Do not pour more than one tulip glass at a time.
Why do you serve oude jenever differently from jonge?
Oude jenever and corenwijn are served at room temperature, because a cold drink gives off less aroma.
Oude jenever contains a larger proportion of malt wine than jonge jenever, and it is precisely that part that carries the aroma. If you put such a bottle in the fridge, you lock in much of what is in it. So leave the bottle in the cupboard, pour into the same tulip glass and give the glass a moment before you take the first sip. Treat corenwijn the same way.
In what order do you taste several jenevers?
Start with the youngest and finish with the oldest.
A jenever with a lot of malt wine leaves more behind in your mouth than a neutral jonge jenever, so the other way round does not work. Take a sip of water in between and rinse the glass, or use a clean glass for each kind. If you taste more than two or three kinds in a row, keep the quantities small and use a spittoon. Have something neutral to eat with it, such as bread, and keep track of how many standard glasses you drink.
Do you add water or ice to jenever?
Water is fine, ice rarely.
Een glas water naast de borrel is gebruikelijk en helpt tussen twee soorten door. Een paar druppels water in het glas kan bij een sterke oude jenever, net als bij whisky, maar doe dat druppel voor druppel, want terugdraaien gaat niet. IJs koelt oude jenever ver terug en verdunt hem daarna verder, waardoor er van de geur weinig overblijft. Jonge jenever komt al gekoeld uit de koelkast en heeft geen ijs nodig. Vanaf 18 jaar, NIX18.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which oude jenevers and corenwijns are in stock in Bathmen?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 52 oude jenevers and corenwijns from 17 different brands from 3 countries. Prices range from € 11.99 to € 175.00. Alcohol content ranges from 35% to 45%.
- A. v. Wees De Ooievaar Zeer Oude Genever 10 jaar 42% · 70 cl · Netherlands
- A. v. Wees De Ooievaar Zeer Oude Genever 15 jaar 42% · 70 cl · Netherlands
- Blankenheym Oude Genever 38% · 100 cl · Netherlands
- Bokma Oude Genever 38% · 50 cl · Netherlands
- Bols Corenwijn 2 jaar Vatgerijpt 38% · 100 cl · Netherlands
- Bols Corenwijn 6 Jaar Gelagerd 40% · 70 cl · Netherlands
- Bols Zeer Oude Genever 35% · 50 cl · Netherlands
- Bols Zeer Oude Genever 35% · 100 cl · Netherlands
- Boompjes Korenwijn 42% · 70 cl · Netherlands
- Boompjes Old Dutch genever 38% · 70 cl · Netherlands
Related questions
How long does jenever keep after opening?How much alcohol is in jenever?Where may jenever come from?
Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- What is the difference between jonge and old jenever?
- The proportion of malt wine. Jong and oud refer to the composition of the jenever, not to the time it has spent in the cask.
- What is corenwijn?
- Corenwijn is a jenever with a high proportion of malt wine. Ask in the shop which bottles come from wood.
- Does jenever have to go in the freezer?
- The fridge is enough for jonge jenever. Do not put oude jenever and corenwijn in it; serve those at room temperature.
- How much is a borrel of jenever?
- A small glass of 3 to 5 cl. In the Dutch count, a borrel stands for one standard glass.
- What is a kopstoot?
- A small glass of jenever with a glass of beer beside it, ordered together and drunk together. The glasses stay separate.
The reasoning
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on the definition, description, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks, EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union (accessed 2026-09-05)
- eAmbrosia, the EU register of geographical indications, European Commission (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Standaardglazen en calorieen berekenen, Alcoholinfo, Trimbos-instituut (accessed 2026-09-05)
- NIX18, geen alcohol en geen tabak onder de 18, Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport (geraadpleegd 2026-09-05)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine and spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 7 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.