Distilling Malt Wine in Schiedam

Distilling malt wine in Schiedam, the jenever capital of the world, originated in the 17th century as a traditional distillation of malt (barley and rye) into a strong alcoholic distillate (approximately 48% ABV), used as the base for jenever. 

The process involves malting barley, saccharifying the mash with enzymes, yeast fermentation, and three-stage distillation (raw malt, single malt, and malt wine). 

In its heyday (around 1882), the city boasted nearly 400 distilleries with an annual production of 46 million liters, driven by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) trade. 

From 1869 onward, production declined due to cheaper grain alcohol, but traditions live on in the National Jenever Museum and distilleries like De Tweelingh, where malt wine is distilled and aged according to historical methods.

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