Jenever Punch
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 11.1% ABV ∙
The Jenever Punch is a genever sour lengthened with soda, built from oude genever, lemon, brown sugar syrup, and a touch of maraschino liqueur. A fizzy lift softens a malty, silky core, with tart edges rounded by caramel warmth and a fragrant dusting of nutmeg on the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 4 ingredients with ice: Oude genever 45 mlLemon juice 30 mlBrown sugar syrup 15 mlMaraschino liqueur 2 dashes
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top up with Soda water
- Garnish with grated nutmeg
- Note: Can be scaled up and served from a punch bowl or a large pitcher
Tips
- Shake only the genever, lemon, syrup, and maraschino with ice; add the soda water after straining so it stays lively.
- Strain into an ice-filled glass rather than a fresh one — it keeps the drink cold without extra dilution from re-shaking.
- Scaling up for a punch bowl works well, but shake and strain each round of the spirit mix first, then top the whole batch with soda.
History
Jenever Punch is a modern variation on the Collins family of drinks, built around genever, the malty, juniper-flavored Dutch spirit that predates London-style gin. Genever cocktails of this shape trace back to the John Collins, a 19th-century tall drink of Dutch or "Hollands" gin, lemon, sugar, and soda water; when the recipe was picked up using English Old Tom gin instead, that version became known as the Tom Collins, its first published recipe generally traced to Harry Johnson's 1882 bartending manual, while the genever-based original kept the John Collins name. Jenever Punch revives that original spirit base, adding brown sugar and a touch of maraschino liqueur to the standard Collins build, and is described simply as a more elaborate riff on the Collins template rather than a drink with its own separate creation story.
FAQ
What is in a Jenever Punch?
Oude genever, fresh lemon juice, brown sugar syrup, a couple of dashes of maraschino liqueur, and a topper of soda water, garnished with grated nutmeg. It is shaken, strained over ice, then topped up, giving a light, fizzy sour built on genever rather than gin or vodka.
What cocktails use genever?
Genever is the base spirit of the Jenever Punch, and also anchors classics such as the Holland Gin Cocktail and various genever sours and fizzes. It brings a malty, whiskey-like backbone that plain London dry gin does not have, so genever cocktails tend to read richer and less juniper-forward than gin ones.
Is jenever the same as vodka?
No, jenever is not vodka. Jenever is a juniper-flavored Dutch and Belgian spirit distilled partly from malted grain, giving it a malty, whiskey-like character, while vodka is a neutral spirit with little to no flavor of its own.
How is genever best enjoyed?
Genever is traditionally sipped neat and chilled in a small tulip glass, straight from the freezer, especially the aged oude style used in this Jenever Punch. It also works well lengthened with citrus and soda, as in this recipe, or mixed into classic gin-style cocktails for a maltier, richer result.
