Bols has been distilling in Amsterdam since 1575, making it the world’s oldest distilled spirits brand and the first cocktail brand on the planet.
Founder Lucas Bols was a majority shareholder of the Dutch East India Company which gave him first pick of every herb and spice in Amsterdam from across the globe, a privilege that shaped the Bols flavour range for centuries.
English soldiers associated drinking genever with the bravery of Dutch soldiers and started calling genever “Dutch Courage”. In 1700 Lucas Bols had already created over 300 liqueur and genever recipes. Over the centuries, the Bols genever became 1 of the 4 base spirits for cocktails in the USA. This Amsterdam distillery has been part of the cocktail culture even before it became a movement.
