Lindemans releases two new gins based on kriek

Lindemans has teamed up with De Moor distillery in Aalst to make both a clear and a red gin. They are based on a distillation of old kriek and are available in a limited number of bottles.

Where a couple of years ago, a gin and tonic could usually be found at the bottom of a drinks menu, today it’s enjoying a revival. Some bars are even dedicated to special gins and rare tonic waters. And whether you enjoy a good old G&T or not, it’s a trend to be proud of. 

Gin is based on the recipe for jenever, a distillation made with juniper berries that has been drunk in the low countries since the middle ages. English soldiers who fought the Dutch Revolt noticed how local soldiers sipped jenever to boost their morale. They brought the drink back to London, where it was distilled with neutral, rather than grain, alcohol and renamed gin.

The Lindemans Premium Gin comes in two varieties. The clear one is a distillation of 15 botanicals and Lindemans Kriek Cuvée René mature cherry beer. According to cocktail connoisseur Manuel Wouters from Sips bar in Antwerp, this gin is at its best when mixed with a neutral tonic, lots of ice and a grapefruit garnish.

The red gin, meanwhile, is made the same way as the clear, but has sour cherry juice added. Wouters suggests mixing it with prosecco and pink grapefruit juice.

Both gins are distilled in batches with a maximum capacity of 250 litres. De Moor swears by this small-scale, traditional approach. As the distillery doesn’t have an automated production line, every bottle is corked and sealed by hand. The bottles can only be purchased at the Lindemans brewery.

Lindemans has also released a new beer for the summer. With Danish brewer Mikkeller, they have come up with Spontanbasil: a blend of old gueuze with fresh basil. The basil adds to the crispness of the gueuze, which makes for a great thirst quencher. There are 27,000 75cl bottles available, sold at beer shops and Delhaize.