The taste of restaurant Blauw in a glass: Gin 7 Rempah
25 July 2023
Many people know us for our authentic rice tables. You could call it our signature dish. It’s high time to add a true Blauw signature drink to that, and that’s precisely Gin 7 Rempah: a unique high-end gin crafted entirely with our own recipe to perfectly complement authentic Indonesian cuisine.
7 Rempah = Seven spices
We knew from the start that we wanted to create a gin with authentic Indonesian ingredients like pandan leaves and star anise, but regular gin doesn’t easily blend with pandan. Hence, we had to search for the perfect balance between multiple ingredients and spices. This led to a gin with an exceptionally rich flavor profile, consisting of seven spices!
1. Juniper berries
2. Coriander
3. Pandan leaves
4. Kaffir lime leaves
5. Cloves
6. Lemongrass
7. Bird’s eye chili
During the first tasting session, we were pleasantly surprised. It clicked almost immediately, and we only needed some fine-tuning. Then, we started scaling up, and for that, we found the perfect partner in De Pronckheer.
Distillery De Pronckheer
Gin 7 Rempah is a gin crafted entirely with our own recipe, but it couldn’t be made without the help of Arjan Smit and Inge Stolk from De Pronckheer. De Pronckheer, a regional restaurant in Cothen, was one of the most innovative restaurants in the Netherlands. In February 2018, the owners changed their course and pursued their new dream: having their own distillery. While seeking a solution for damaged and leftover fruits that would otherwise be discarded, Arjan Smit and Inge Stolk discovered the formula for a new challenge: 100% pure and natural distillates. Together with restaurant Blauw, they took on the challenge of developing a gin with authentic Indonesian flavors.
Where the Netherlands and Indonesia meet
The fascinating thing about a gin and tonic is that it doesn’t only contain authentic Indonesian flavors but also has a bit of Dutch history. It has a connection to our Dutch genever. Gin is derived from genever (pronounced with a “g”). Juniper berries are the key ingredient in gin. Jenever was considered a medicine around 1269, as stated in the Complete Guide to Gin & Tonic by Frédéric Du Bois and Isabel Boons. Eventually, the Dutch brought jenever to Indonesia through the British and their British East India Company. There, they mixed it with tonic containing quinine, which was used to prevent malaria. The tonic on its own was almost undrinkable, so they sweetened it with sugar, lime, water, and later, their beloved gin. The gin and tonic was born!
“This tastes like Blauw!”
When you open the gin bottle, the aroma is the first thing that stands out. It’s a very distinctive and aromatic gin. Naturally, it smells like gin, but the scent of pandan is immediately noticeable. We serve the gin as a gin and tonic, over ice, with a piece of turmeric leaf, star anise, and a slice of lime. This is when the flavors truly come to life. We recently had people taste it to see their initial reactions. It was great fun, and one of the best responses we received was, “Wow, this tastes like Blauw!”. Somehow, you know it right away. We’re thrilled that we were able to create another typical Blauw flavor explosion, where you can taste many nuances without any of the ingredients overshadowing each other. We now serve Gin 7 Rempah in both our Utrecht and Amsterdam restaurants.
Let 2020 come; we’re ready with gin!
If you’d like to try the gin, it’s on our new menu in both restaurants and is available while supplies last. Quickly reserve your table!
Met wie schuif jij vanavond het liefst aan?
Wij nemen je mee op een culinaire reis vol smaaksensaties, dwars door de Indonesisch archipel.
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