A distilling ban was implemented in Belgium in 1601 due primarily to the government's concern about a national food shortage. Too much grain was being used to make Genever (a distilled liquor flavoured with juniper berries, later shortened to gin in English). As a result of the ban, many distillers migrated to the Netherlands, France and Germany. Coupled with existing migrations brought about by war, the centre of prosperity shifted from Belgium to the Netherlands. With that came the knowledge for distilling Genever. While distilling alcohol from fruits and grains had prehistoric roots and juniper berries had been used as flavouring for 300 years or more, this shift was significant because distillers began to supply Genever to the Dutch East India Trading Company which then carried it around the world.
Source: https://www.ginfoundry.com/insights/genevers-forgotten-history/
| Drugs: | Alcohol |
|---|---|
| Regions: | Belgium, Netherlands |
| Topics: | Cultivation, production and trade, Drugs and war, Prohibition, Taxation and regulation |
