Jenever is the straight Dutch gin. It is said to have originated in Italy in the 12th or 13th century when alchemists, priests, and noblemen sought cures for many of the illnesses plaguing Europe. They discovered the distilling process and distilled medicine laced with all sorts of herbs and extracts. It was thought that alcohol, or "courage water", could cure anything. The question as to who discovered jenever has never been answered but it has been attributed to (one of) the following two sources. 

The first was a medicine professor, Franciscus de la Boe, at Leiden University in the 17th century who was thought to have invented the concoction. The second the Flemish refugees, escaping persecution in the aftermath of the Brussels Beeldenstorm (desecration of statues) in 1566, brought it to Holland. 
When the drink ceased to be a medicine it became a popular product. Distilleries sprang up all over Holland and Schiedam, Rotterdam's satellite city with 200 distilleries, became the unofficial jenever capital. 
By 1792 Holland was exporting nearly 4.2 million gallons of jenever annually to Britain, Ireland, the Orient, the Middle East, Germany, France and Spain. There are two main types of jenever known as "jonge" and "oude",or young and old jenever. "Oude" is yellowish, aromatic, and mellow because it has a higher malt content than "Jonge", which is clear in color and blander in taste. Both, however, share common elements. They are made up of juniper berries, grain and molasses alcohol and are distilled through the old still system, or a modern equivalent thereof. 

Bols and Heineken are the two main distillers of jenever in Holland. Bols was founded by Lucas Bols in 1575. Heineken is famous for the best selling jenever of all, Bokma Jonge. Each distiller has its own secret recipe, to maintain its uniqueness, which has been handed down through the generations. 
There are other types of jenever known as "bessen", "citroen", and "corenwyn" genever, or red currant, lemon, and corn wine accordingly. 

Beer and breweries
Egyptians were the first to record the brewing process 5000 years ago. The Dutch started importing hops for the first time in the year 800, when Germanic tribes, who were avid beer drinkers, occupied the country. They used the skulls of their conquered enemies as drinking mugs. 
At first there were no official breweries as the housewives brewed beer in their kitchens. They used juniper berries, ginger, caraway seeds, and anise for flavoring before the hops were first imported. Beer was the most popular beverage from 1200 to 1650 when the water was too polluted and the wine too expensive. During these 450 years the Dutch consumed at least 106 gallons of beer per person annually. Holland's hop gardens first appeared in the 14th century and breweries blossomed during the Middle Ages, although the housewives did not stop brewing their own beer. Every Dutch city had a brewery, and Haarlem, Delft, Gouda, and Amersfoort produced enough beer for export to Flanders. 
Amsterdam became the major brewing center in the 15th century. By the 17th century there were 700 breweries in Holland and an increase in demand for beer as it was used for both drinking and cooking. Today there is a revival of the traditional style of brewing in what are known as "boutique breweries". 
These breweries are tiny compared to even the smallest breweries, but their product distinguishes them from the well known beers such as Heineken, Amstel, Grolsch, Brandt, Skol, Breda, and Oranjeboom. The boutique beers have a marked fruitiness and complexity as they are made in the traditional style called bottom fermenting. In this process yeast is settled during a period of cold maturation or "lagering". 
The first type ever to be produced was in Pilsen, Bohemia. A beer is therefore a derivative of the Pilsener style which is why the Dutch call it a "pils". The boutique breweries are not very successful with the local people though because they prefer the local tastes with which they are so familiar. This type of beer sells better in the big cities and with the tourists. 

Tasting houses
Tasting houses, also known as "proeflokalen", were established by distilleries to introduce their wares to the public. Prospective customers (such as the general public, owners of cafes and restaurants) would sample a few liquors and then place their orders. 
They would carry the wares home in their own bottles. The tasting houses were not decorated. Wooden casks and bottles lined the walls and a long counter ran the length of the house. There were no tables and chairs as they were not bars, and therefore also closed early. Practically every distiller had its own tasting house. One of the first tasting houses was 't Lootsje (Little Bar), built in 1575 in Amsterdam by Lucas Bols. 
Today the tradition of the tasting houses continues. When a drink arrives the customers are seen standing straight up, their hands behind the backs, taking the first sip of jenever. One can drink the rest of the drink, which is served in a tall shot glass, normally. 

Brown cafes
This drinking ritual can also be observed in the many "bruine kroegen" (brown cafes) located throughout Holland. All these cafes have brown walls and ceilings, so colored through time and cigarette smoke. However, each is distinct. Certain cafes are known to specialize in specific crowds. These cafes can be large taverns or tiny bars. In every bar there is a complete absence of music and all one hears is the buzz of the crowd and the clinking of the glasses. To sum it all up, the cafes radiate the Dutch "gezelligheid", or coziness.