We went for a walking tour through the charming city of Dordrecht.

Built on an island and bordered by five rivers, charming Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland.

While historians debate the etymology of its name, “Dordrecht” essentially means a “thoroughfare,” and was historically significant since the Middle Ages for its role as a merchant city with a lively wood, wine and grain trade.

Today, the wealth and culture of the city is clearly visible. Having escaped much of the destruction of World War II, Dordrecht retains its old world charm with quaint alleyways, parks, windmills and boat harbors.

Perhaps most significantly, the city boasts hundreds of historic monuments and buildings from the Dutch Golden Age, many home to cozy cafés, museums and theaters.

Grote Kerk, or “Big Church” in Dutch, is the largest church in Dordrecht, Holland’s oldest city. The exact date of the church’s establishment is unknown, but it is believed to date back at least to the 13th century. It was founded as a Roman Catholic church. After the Reformation it became a Protestant church and remains one today.

The church was originally built in the Romanesque style, but a fire in 1457 significantly damaged the building.

Architect Everaert Spoorwater led the reconstruction of Grote Kerk. His design was in the Brabantine Gothic style, which shows up in the rib vaults along the ceiling.

The church’s monuments, chapels and medieval choir stall are other highlights along with its 275-step clock tower with a carillon of 67 bells.

Grote Kerk played an important role in the 1618 Synod of Dordrecht-an initiative of Prince Maurits of Orange to end religious disputes that divided the Dutch republic at the time.

Future painter Vincent Van Gogh regularly attended services in the Grote Kerk in early 1877, when he lived and worked in Dordrecht while considering becoming a minister.

Near the end of the tour we had some time for ourselves. We headed off to Rutte distillery to go on a Genever tasting.

https://www.rutte.com/

Both the Netherlands and Belgium take great pride in their distilled malted spirit known as genever. In terms of flavor profile and usage, genever falls somewhere between whiskey and gin. The name genever comes from the Latin word for juniper berry. The Dutch refer to it as genever or jenever, the British call it geneva and the French say genièvre.

Whatever you call it, genever is a triple distillate (corn, barley and rye) combined with a second juniper-infused distillate similar to gin. Genever may be further distilled with botanicals or spices (citrus peels, caraway seeds, cardamom or anise) before it is aged in a copper pot or oak barrel. A full-bodied spirit, the unique flavor of genever is as complex as its history.

It is believed that genever was created in the 13th century in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium.

By 1587, Dutch soldiers introduced genever to British soldiers during the Dutch Revolt, an uprising in the Low Countries (present-day Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) against Hapsburg rule. Soldiers took swigs of genever just before heading into battle, which is where the expression “Dutch courage” originated.

At the time, genever had both medicinal and recreational uses. Medicinally, the juniper plant and its berries were used for many things: a diuretic, pain relief and a treatment for bronchitis. Given these uses, genever was initially available in pharmacies. By the early 17th century, however, genever became increasingly popular as a recreational beverage, and the Dutch government began taxing it as an alcoholic drink.

It was also heavily consumed in England, where it later inspired the invention of gin.

Today, there are two main production styles of genever-jong (young) and oud (old). Jong has a milder taste due to a lower percentage of malt; it contains less sugar and is often produced in oak barrels. Oud is the traditional style that begins with at least 15% malt grain and is produced in a copper pot, resulting in smooth, malty flavors. Genever production has been protected by law since 2008 when the Dutch government and the European Union created an official AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) for the spirit. Authentic genever can only be produced in the Netherlands, Belgium and specific areas of France and Germany.