The Dutch Beer and Gin Trade: Brewing a Golden Age

In this episode of The Story of the Netherlands, Lucas and Luna explore how beer and gin fueled the Dutch Golden Age. They trace the evolution from medieval gruit beer, flavored with herbs like bog myrtle, to the rise of hopped beer from Hamburg that transformed Dutch brewing. The story then shifts to jenever, the Dutch gin that became a global commodity, with Lucas Bols and the Bols family pioneering distillation techniques. Along the way, they discuss the role of the Wisselbank in financing breweries and distilleries, the guilds that regulated production, and how a drink originally used for medicine became a symbol of Dutch identity. This episode ties together trade, innovation, and everyday life in the Republic.

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