🥃 Genièvre de grains / Graanjenever
Genever in which all the spirit is grain-based: EU PGI for Belgium, the Netherlands and the French Nord and Pas-de-Calais; at least 1.5% moutwijn, at least 30% ABV.
Grain genever (Genièvre de grains, in Dutch Graanjenever or Graangenever) is an EU protected geographical indication for a juniper drink in which all the alcohol comes from grain. It may be made in Belgium, the Netherlands and the French departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. Strength is at least 30% ABV, and the share of moutwijn is at least 1.5% of pure alcohol.
The difference from genever. Ordinary genever allows blending grain distillate with neutral ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, including alcohol from molasses. Grain genever does not allow this. According to the Dutch agency RVO, both the main spirit and the moutwijn must be grain-based. The other rules are shared: juniper berries, at least 1.5% moutwijn, and at least 30% ABV.
Moutwijn. Moutwijn (malt wine) is a grain distillate obtained by distilling fermented mash to 40 to 80% ABV. According to the French genever specification, the grain for it may be wheat, rye, barley, maize, oats, buckwheat or triticale. The more moutwijn, the stronger the bready flavour. The spirit is flavoured with berries of common or prickly juniper and may be redistilled.
Protected name. The name was entered in Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 in the category of juniper spirit drinks, together with the general Genièvre / Jenever / Genever, young and old genever and regional names. It now falls under Regulation (EU) 2019/787. Unlike general genever, the German Länder are not part of the grain zone.
Why this matters to you. The word graan or grains on a label means the bottle contains no neutral spirit from molasses or other non-grain sources. The taste is richer as a result, but the strength is the same: at least 30% ABV. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | juniper spirit drink (category 19 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787); geographical indication |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787; previously Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 |
| Raw material | ethyl alcohol made only from grain; moutwijn at least 1.5% of pure alcohol; juniper berries |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 30% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Genièvre de grains / Graanjenever → then → 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation ← goes through ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Genever
- Similar and different
- 🍸 Juniper-flavoured spirit drink, 🥃 Ostfriesischer Korngenever (East Frisian grain genever), 🥃 Balegemse jenever, 🍸 Gin
Frequently asked questions
Is every genever made only from grain?
No. General genever may be mainly neutral spirit, and 1.5% grain moutwijn is enough. Only grain genever (graanjenever) must be entirely grain-based.
What is moutwijn?
A grain distillate obtained by distilling fermented mash to 40 to 80% ABV. It gives genever its bready flavour.
Where can Graanjenever be made?
In Belgium, the Netherlands and the French departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais.
What is the strength of grain genever?
At least 30% ABV, the same as general genever.
Which grain is used?
According to the French genever specification: wheat, rye, barley, maize, oats, buckwheat or triticale.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🍸 Gin — A spirit flavoured with juniper berries: in the EU at least 37.5% vol., juniper must dominate, and “dry” means up to 0.1 g/l of sugar.
- 🥃 Ostfriesischer Korngenever (East Frisian grain genever) — German protected name for East Frisian genever: alcohol only from grain distillate and moutwijn, juniper flavour by distillation only; at least 38% ABV, sugar up to 5 g/l.
Similar
🥃 Genièvre Flandre Artois · 🥃 Genièvre aux fruits / Vruchtenjenever · 🥃 Balegemse jenever · 🥃 Ostfriesischer Korngenever (East Frisian grain genever) · 🥃 Hasseltse jenever · 🥃 Steinhäger
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency): Kwaliteitsaanduidingen voor gedistilleerde dranken — Jenever (min. 1.5 % moutwijn, min. 30 %), Graanjenever / genièvre de grains (ethyl alcohol from grain, min. 1.5 % moutwijn, min. 30 %; BE, NL, FR Nord & Pas-de-Calais), Vruchtenjenever / genièvre aux fruits / jenever met vruchten / Fruchtgenever (jenever flavoured with fruit, plants, fruit juice or distillates; min. 1.5 % moutwijn, min. 18 %; BE, NL, FR Nord & Pas-de-Calais, DE NRW & Niedersachsen)
- BO Agri 12.02.2015: Cahier des charges de l'IG « Genièvre » / « Jenever » / « Genever » (arrêté du 27 janvier 2015): min. 30 %, min. 1.5 % moutwijn distilled at 40–80 %, grains — wheat, rye, barley, maize, oats, buckwheat, triticale; < 20 g/l sugar; caramel E150a only; area BE, NL, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, NRW, Niedersachsen; history from late 16th c., Vandervelde law 1919, fruit-and-juniper drinks in 21st c.
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): 19. Juniper-flavoured spirit drinks — Genièvre de grains/Graanjenever/Graangenever (Belgium, the Netherlands, France — Nord and Pas-de-Calais), Genièvre/Jenever/Genever, Jonge and Oude jenever, Genièvre Flandre Artois
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: cat. 19 juniper-flavoured spirit drinks (min. 30 %); Chapter III — geographical indications
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)