🥃 Genièvre Flandre Artois

Genièvre Flandre Artois is an EU protected geographical indication for French genever from the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. It is a juniper-flavoured drink made only from grain distillate: the final distillation takes place in a copper still together with juniper berries. Strength on sale is at least 35% ABV. Sugar and colourings are banned.

Protected name. The name was added to Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 in the category of juniper spirit drinks. France approved the specification by order of 30 December 2014. The zone is French Flanders and the Flemish Artois, where the Flemish language and culture lived on for a long time. Saccharification, fermentation, distillation and, if used, ageing all take place here.

Production. Rye, barley, wheat and oats are used, separately or mixed, and at least one grain must be malted. Genetically modified grain is banned. The mash is saccharified only with malt enzymes, fermented and distilled several times. For the final distillation, at least 1 kg of juniper berries goes into the copper still per 1,000 litres of pure alcohol, and the distillate comes out at no more than 65% ABV. Ageing in wood is allowed.

History. Grain spirit with juniper spread through the Spanish Netherlands at the end of the 16th century. After the French Revolution dozens of distilleries grew up in the region: there were six in Saint-Omer in 1795 and 72 in the Nord department by 1804. At the start of the 20th century about a hundred distilleries made roughly 30,000 hectolitres a year, and genever became the drink of miners and textile workers.

Why this matters to you. According to the specification, Belgian and Dutch distilleries switched early to neutral spirit from molasses, while French genever stayed grain-based, so bread and cereal notes are more noticeable in it. It is a strong spirit at 35% ABV or more. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe amount of alcohol.