Genever glasses

The contents of a genever glass almost always range between 3.5 and 5 cl, and that difference matters more than it seems. The 3.5 cl is the standard hospitality pour: filled to the rim, it is exactly one measure, so nothing needs to be measured out. The 5 cl gives you room not to pour it completely full, which is more convenient when you have to carry the glass or want to be able to smell it before drinking.

That is also the immediate difference between jonge and oude genever. Jonge genever is light and neutral, is drunk freezer-cold, and works perfectly with a full pour in a 3.5 cl tulip glass. Oude genever contains more malt wine and has aromas of grain, vanilla and sometimes barrel aging that you can only smell when there is air above the drink. For that, the 5 cl roemer works better, half-filled and chilled rather than ice-cold. A measuring line is mandatory in the hospitality industry and handy at home, because you can see at a glance whether everyone is getting a fair pour. Also take a look at the broader genever glasses and the shot glasses.

The best-known way to drink jenever is the kopstootje: a full shot glass next to a glass of beer. First, you take the jenever from the table without using your hands, and only then pick up the beer. The recipe and sequence are described under kopstoot, and you can find the matching glass under beer glasses.

Those who prefer tasting to drinking can set up a small tasting: start with jonge jenever from the freezer, move on to oude jenever at cellar temperature, and finish with korenwijn, which contains at least 51 percent malt wine and comes closest to whisky. Pour small servings and rinse the glass between pours with a splash of the next jenever instead of water. There are also jenever-based cocktails; amsterdam sour is the best-known of the modern generation.

Jenever glasses are small and heavy at the foot, which makes them surprisingly robust. The bowl itself is thin at the rim because you drink right up to that rim, and that is where the vulnerability sits. They can go in the dishwasher, but place them apart and not pushed into each other, because small glasses jam easily. A fill line applied by sandblasting or as a ceramic print stays put; a printed line can fade after hundreds of wash cycles. Store the glasses upright in the freezer if you mostly serve young jenever, then the first round is at temperature straight away.

If you’re looking for the same size for liqueur or a sweet finish, take a look at the liqueur glasses. The brand that makes the most Dutch shot glasses can be found at Royal Leerdam. And if you want to pour accurately at home without measurement marks on the glass, jiggers do the job. Anyone who wants to complete their home bar cabinet should add glassware for specialty beer, because in this country jenever and beer simply belong together at the same table.