The Dutch Gin Trade: How Jenever Built Amsterdam's Distilling Empire

In the 17th century, Amsterdam wasn't just a hub for spices, herring, and tulips—it was also the center of a booming gin trade. This episode explores how Dutch distillers, particularly the Bols family, turned a medicinal grain spirit into a global commodity. Lucas and Luna trace the story from the earliest malt wine recipes to the rise of jenever as the Dutch national drink, its role in the Eighty Years' War, and the innovations that made Amsterdam the distilling capital of Europe. They also discuss the English adoption of jenever (which became gin), the guild system that controlled production, and the social impact of cheap spirits in the Dutch Republic. Along the way, they touch on the parallel with the tulip trade—another Dutch commodity that reshaped society and then collapsed. This is a story about taste, technology, and the unintended consequences of global commerce. #Jenever #DutchGin #AmsterdamDistilling #Bols #LucasBols #EightyYearsWar #DutchGoldenAge #GuildSystem #MaltWine #GrainSpirit #Genever #DutchTrade #AmsterdamHistory #DrinkHistory #SpiritsHistory #NetherlandsHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo