What kind of wines or alcoholic drinks were likely to be available to,
or drunk by, Johannes Vermeer in about 1666 in Delft? What were the
pubs serving?  I am sponsoring a lecture on Vermeer, with a reception
after, and am looking for some sort of appropriate, "Vermeerian" drink
to serve.

Hello kilboj-ga,

Questions about Holland always interest me, as my roommate is
originally from there, and can be a wealth of information for me
sometimes.

I think your best bet for a historically accurate drink from that
period would be Jenever, a form of Gin.

Let?s start with some history, and go from there.

In 1595 (some say 1650), Gin was developed in Holland (Some say
Belgium, but the majority say Holland) using the Juniper berry.
Franciscus Sylvius developed it, a Dutch doctor in Leyden, Holland. By
the late 1680?s, the Dutch were exporting over 10 million gallons a
year. While we here in America call it gin, the Dutch name for the
traditional version is Jenever. European Union regulations specify
that only Gin made in the Netherlands and Flanders can use the name
Jenever. It was first sold as a medicine for stomach and kidney
trouble under the name Genova.

?Because bacteria were killed in the distilling process of jenever, it
'was therefore a drink to keep you healthy,' explains Rogier. Hence
the origin of the saying in Old Dutch: 'Jenever in den morgenstond,
verfrist en maakt den maagh gesond,' which translates roughly to 'A
jenever in the morning wakes you and keeps your stomach healthy?
http://wwwutnws.utwente.nl/utnieuws/data/37/26/engels3.html

There are two types of jenever, Oude (Old) and Jonge (young). This has
to do with distilling techniques. I would recommend for your purposed,
you find some of the Oude Jenever.

There are many ways to drink jenever, most agreeing on the fact it
should be ice cold and no ice cubes. There are a number of Dutch
drinks as well that involve Jenever you could mix at your lecture such
as:

Straaljager, Jenever and bitter lemon

Kopstoot ('bump to the head'), a pint of beer accompanied by a glass of Jenever

Duikbootje ('submarine'), putting a glass of Jenever into a pint glass of beer

You can buy Jenever in many flavors, such as apple, currant, lemon,
plum, and coffee? the list goes on.

You can find a number of places to purchase it online here:
http://www.euro-beer.co.uk/c804.html
http://www.bakersandlarners.com/catalog/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/2531
http://www.dekuyper.com/en/productinformatie.php?category=5&id=107
http://www.dekuyper.com/en/productinformatie.php?category=5&id=103
http://www.dekuyper.com/en/productinformatie.php?category=5&id=98
http://www.dekuyper.com/en/productinformatie.php?category=5&id=100

Therefore, being that your timeline for a traditional Dutch drink in
the time of Vermeer is the mid to late 1600?s in Holland, this would
be perfect for you! Serve up some Jenever, some wine and/or beer, and
call it historically accurate at the lecture. Vermeer was 28 in 1660,
right as Jenever took off, so I would say this would be quite the
?Vermeerian? drink of choice due to it?s popularity in his home
country.

If this answer requires further explanation, please request
clarification before rating it, and I'll be happy to look into this
further.
Nenna-GA
Google Answers Researcher

Additional links:
http://essentialvermeer.20m.com/timelines/timeline_vermeer_%20life_3.htm
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/alcohol/alcohol_timeline.php
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A568677c
http://wwwutnws.utwente.nl/utnieuws/data/37/26/engels3.html 

Google Searches:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=jenever&btnG=Google+Search

---

Request for Answer Clarification by kilboj-ga on 02 Jun 2005 14:08 PDT

I have heard something about a chocolate wine.  Any information on that?

JK

---

Clarification of Answer by nenna-ga on 03 Jun 2005 14:41 PDT

Hello again,

Here's what I could find for you.

First, I found some chocolate vodka from the Netherlands:
http://www.winespecialist.com/128224

However, it's not wine. I couldn't find any Dutch specific chocolate
wine, so I kept hunting for the next closest thing. I found some
Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Liqueur that could be used in a drink. Also,
with it's name, it's more than appropiate for your lecture.
http://www.bevmo.com/productinfo.asp?area=home&seref=froogle&pf_id=00000061378
http://store.yahoo.com/randalls/rws24355.html

But, I kept looking. I found a chocolate and orange whey/wine in the
form of a liqueur.
http://www.shallon.com/chocwine.htm

"his whey wines, crafted with whey from the Tillamook Cheese operation
down the coast."
"And his masterpiece ? "Anything I create after this will be a total
anticlimax!" he says ? is his Chocolate-Orange whey wine, a thick,
delicious blend of six European chocolates that is reminiscent of the
chocolate-orange candies prevalent around the holidays."
"- Chocolate-Orange is an orange wine with thick, rich chocolate
suspended in whey. The sample is just a sip, and so thick that you
can't get the last drop out of the glass. Van der Veldt chuckles as he
hands over a paper napkin, saying most people stick a finger in the
glass to get the last drop. $29 per half-bottle."

Shallon Winery
1598 Duane St.
Astoria, OR 
97103
503-325-5978
www.shallon.com
Open noon-6 p.m. daily, including holidays

I hope this helps, it's not from the time period, but hey, who could
go wrong with a VERMEER Dutch Chocolate liqeuer for a lecture on
Vermeer, whom was Dutch!

Nenna-GA

Hello kilboj-ga,

I had also taken a quick look at your question and started researching
the treats you might offer. I think you should consider additional
options for your "Vermeerian" celebration.

The 17th century was the height of the Dutch Golden Age. I've found
evidence that since the Dutch were leaders in international commerce
they had access to the best anyone had to offer -- including fine
wines and spirits. Check out these links for further exploration of
additions to your celebration. Also, don't forget coffee which was
introduced to Europe by the Dutch.

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Dutch-Golden-Age

http://www.rabbel.info/liamsterdam.html
Life in 17th century Amsterdam 

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artcognac.html
Cognac?s qualities were recognized long before the Dutch started
distilling it at the source. English merchants bought the thin acid
white wines for their thirsty customers and the Dutch ships were busy
carrying loads of Cognac wines to London! Then towards the end of the
16th century, a brilliant Dutch captain thought of distilling the wine
at La Rochelle, the main port of export of the region, and upon
arrival in Amsterdam to reconstitute it with water! This way he
thought he could transport at least twice as much, if not more wine,
thus increasing his profits. It is worth pointing out that the Dutch
were also enamoured with the acid wines of the Cognac region. When the
ship arrived in Amsterdam and people tasted the distilled product they
thought it to be very good on its own and considered the addition of
water to be a waste! Thus was Cognac, as a distilled product, was
borne!

http://www.history-of-wine.co.uk/html/old_world.html
The consumption of wine was also enjoyed throughout all parts of
Europe. The creation of the cork and corkscrew in the 17th century was
a great asset to Europe's wine industry. Wine was then easier to store
and consume. In 17th century Holland drinking was an especially
favoured pastime. Dutch taverns ranged from the upscale establishment
to gloomy hovels filled with empty bottles and incapacitated patrons.
Eventually the Dutch expanded their love of drink to harder liquors
and placed less of a focus on wine.

http://www.wineint.com/story.asp?storyCode=1771
Bordeaux?s situation on Europe?s largest estuary provided a solution
by making the region and its wines accessible to foreign markets
throughout northern Europe and, by the 17th century, Holland and
Britain had become the region?s principal buyers. Commercial relations
with the Dutch were based on their need to supply a worldwide network
of colonies with potable, inexpensive wine;

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/history.htm
Coffee and Europe 
The first coffee plant to be brought to Europe was stolen by the Dutch
in 1616. They realized the commercial advantages of cultivating this
brand new drink. A Dutch sea captain called Pieter Van Der Broeck
stole a dozen plants from Mocha and took them back to Holland . These
plants gave birth to the plantations in the Dutch colonies in Java
Indonesia, Timor, Sumatra Ceylon and Celebes.

kilboj,
Genever is certainly the alcoholic beverage made by the Dutch in the
17th century, besides beer, of course.
Gin is just a abreviation of Genever, and - taste-wise - a mild version.

Dutch genever is an "acquired taste", a good reason to serve it
freezing cold, and also a reason why it has not become popular
elsewhere.

For your lecture reception, having a bottle or two of genever to serve
could be interesting for some.  Dutch beer might find more takers, and
also red and white wine, maybe Spanish red for the old historical
connection, and Ggerman white wine from proximity.

IN contrast to Frans Hals' paintings, and others in tha genre,
Vermeer's                                                             
           paintings suggest to me that the audience would be quiet
wine drinkers.

Cheers, Myoarin

Dear Kilboj

As yet another researcher who looked at this question, I have a couple
of thoughts to add.

Bordeaux wines seem to have been the most plentiful French wines in
17th century Holland, with German wines also widely available.

Wine in the Netherlands in the 17th century: 
"Large quantities . . found their way to the ports of Dordrecht and
Rotterdam from Bordeaux in France, the Rhine and Moselle in Germany as
well as from Spain and Portugal. From here the wine was distributed
throughout the country."
http://www.hoogsteder.com/journal/article.aspx?ID=17

Delft at that time was still a "beer town", despite a 17th century
decline in the brewing industry, according to Anthony Bailey's book:
"Vermeer: A View of Delft". (pages 44 and 45) Delft beer was "said to
be as strong as wine".
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805069305/ref=sib_rdr_dp/002-1169651-3234414

Serving drinks in pitchers, flasks or tankards reminiscent of 17th
century Holland could help create a "Vermeerian" atmosphere. For
example:
http://www.johannesvermeer.info/verm/house/hz-flessen-eng.htm
http://www.johannesvermeer.info/verm/house/hz-kanne-kannebort-eng.htm
http://www.johannesvermeer.info/verm/house/hz-kan-verguld-eng.htm
http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/artists/Johannes%20Vermeer/The%20Glass%20Of%20Wine.jpg
http://www.unm.edu/~gconant/vermeer2.jpg


Good luck with your reception - Leli