From the shelf
Two of the 4
Click on a bottle for the rest of the details.
Berries and lemon, in two bottle sizes
From Hooghoudt there are two fruit drinks on our shelf: the berry genever and the lemon brandy. We have both in the litre bottle and the 50 centilitre bottle, so you can try a small one first.
They are two very different drinks that happen to be equally strong. Both labels say twenty percent, but the berry jenever has a jenever base and the lemon brandy does not. Further down this page it says what exactly that means.
Hooghoudt also makes genever, Beerenburg, vieux and the Groningen speciality Fladderak. Those are on other shelves at our shop.
The four bottles we have are located
From bakery to Groningen household name
- The house in brief
- 1888Baker Hero Jan Hooghoudt starts the distillery in Groningen.
- 1898He dies; his wife Grietje continues the business.
- 1989On its hundredth anniversary, the new premises open at Euvelgunne.
- 2025The family business is passing to the French La Martiniquaise.
Hooghoudt was founded in 1888 by Hero Jan Hooghoudt, until then a baker in Groningen. When he died of pneumonia in 1898, his wife Grietje continued the business. For years the distillery was located on the Nieuwe Ebbingestraat in the city centre; at the end of the twentieth century it moved to a new complex on the Euvelgunne industrial estate. In 1989, on its hundredth anniversary, that building was officially opened and the distillery received a Royal distinction.
The house made a few things that come from almost nowhere else, such as the Groningse Fladderak. It also made young and old genever, Beerenburg, apple and berry genever, lemon brandy, vieux, and also non-alcoholic syrups.
Where does the name come from?
The name Hooghoudt comes from the high wooden pedestrian bridges over the Groningen canals, which are called hooghout or hoogholtje. At the complex on Euvelgunne the company has had one built itself.
At the start of 2025, the family business was taken over by the French La Martiniquaise. In July 2025, the new owner decided to close the Groningen site and move production to Gent; the brand name remains. On 18 November 2025, the last bottle of young double grain genever was filled in Groningen.
Blackcurrant jenever, lemon brandy or fruit liqueur?
Three different things are mixed together on this shelf. It helps to know which is which.
Blackcurrant jenever is jenever in which blackcurrants have steeped, sometimes with raspberries, and usually sweetened with sugar. The colour is wine red and the alcohol content is at least twenty per cent.
Lemon brandy is a typically Dutch drink. Herbs and lemon peel are added to the distillate, and sometimes caramel for a darker colour and fuller flavour. It resembles lemon jenever, but is sweeter, and is around twenty per cent.
A fruit liqueur is a liqueur based on fruit. Every liqueur must have at least fifteen per cent alcohol and at least a hundred grams of sugar per litre. If a product stays below fifteen per cent, it is no longer called a liqueur but a likorette.
From Hooghoudt we have the first two: a berry genever and a lemon brandy. Both twenty percent on the label, but a different base and a different taste.
Fruit in the name does not make it a healthy product; it is still alcohol.
Frequently asked questions about Hooghoudt
Which Hooghoudt fruit drinks does ’t Bockje have in stock?
The berry jenever and the lemon brandy, both in a one-litre bottle and in a 50 centiliter bottle.
Where does Hooghoudt come from?
From Groningen. Baker Hero Jan Hooghoudt started the distillery there in 1888.
Is Hooghoudt still made in Groningen?
No. At the start of 2025 the family business was taken over by the French La Martiniquaise, which moved production to Gent. On 18 November 2025 the last bottle was filled in Groningen. The brand name remains.
How much alcohol is in the berry jenever and the lemon brandy?
Both labels say 20 percent.
What is the difference between berry jenever and lemon brandy?
Blackcurrant genever is genever in which blackcurrants have steeped. Lemon brandewijn is a sweetened distillate with herbs and lemon peel in it. They are equally strong, but have a different base and a different taste.
Where does the name Hooghoudt come from?
From the tall wooden pedestrian bridges over the canals of Groningen, which are called hooghout or hoogholtje.
Can I pick up Hooghoudt in Bathmen?
Yes. You can always order online or collect at Brink 2, or simply walk in.
Order, collect or drop by
- In stock in our shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen
- Available to order online and have delivered, including abroad
- Order online or collect in Bathmen
- Personal advice via 0570 541 278 or info@bockje.nl
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 09.00–18.00, Saturday 09.00–17.00. Closed Monday and Sunday
Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18.
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Brink 2, Bathmen
All our stock is in the shop, not in a warehouse somewhere else. If you walk in with a name you couldn't find anywhere, it is often simply here on the shelf. You can also call: 0570 541 278.
Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18
- Tuesday to Friday 09.00 – 18.00
- Saturday 09.00 – 17.00
- Monday and Sunday closed