New World Whisky

There are quite literally hundreds of new world distilleries. In a new series we pick the best of them. This issue, Dominic Roskrow speaks to Patrick Zuidam, of Dutch distillers Zuidam. Dutch distiller Zuidam recently won World’s Best Distiller in The Wizards of Whisky World Whisky Awards. But it has worked hard for it.

When Fred van Zuidam set out to make alcoholic drinks in 1975, he had two rules: one, make exclusive drinks and two, don’t cut corners. Some 45 years later that’s exactly the legacy he has passed on to his sons, Patrick and Gilbert. When Patrick started making whisky, turning his hand to single malt and rye, it was those high standards that led to the creation of a range of world-class whiskies that have been picking up awards on a phenomenal scale right from the outset.

Zuidam is a family-run company in the small Southern Netherlands town of Baarle-Nassau, which backs on to a complicated and confusing border with Belgium. Traditionally it has focused on genevers, rums, gins and liqueurs, creating hundreds of recipes and using only the finest fruits, spices and botanicals. Such attention to detail doesn’t come as a surprise once you spend any time with Patrick, who admits to being ‘a bit of a perfectionist and maybe a little bit of a control freak too.’

What sets Zuidam apart from many other European spirits and liqueur producers is the way the distillery embraced whisky making at the start of the millennium, joining an elite group of world producers that included Lark, Limeburners, Sullivan’s Cove and Bakery Hill in Australia, Mackmyra in Sweden, Amrut in India, Penderyn in Wales, The English Whisky Company and The Belgian Owl. All of them were determined to break out from their locality and achieving success on an international platform.

The whiskies are marketed under the name Millstone - a reference to the process of using a local Dutch windmill to crush the grain - and from an early stage Patrick and his team started experimenting with peat and different types of cask.

The range grew up in public, progressing from five-year bottlings to whiskies aged for more than 14 years. Patrick says that the aim of all involved was to keep improving and not standstill. “Everything is always open to improvement. But we have made such huge steps from the beginning, and now we are improving details mostly in the fermentation process.”

Whisky has become very important to Zuidam and is up there with genever and gin as the busi-ness’s driving point. With the success, though, has come a demanding workload, and a whole range of new problems. The company asks a lot of commitment from its staff, and while it’s been important to

“The whiskies are marketed under the name Millstone - a reference to the process of using a local Dutch windmill to crush the grain”

Patrick to keep everyone happy, there have been challenges. A lack of space due to expansion and the resulting health and safety implications, the need for new and better equipment, and some awkward neighbours who don’t want the distillery to grow, have all presented the company with a head-ache. It was a problem in 2015, and it remains so today.

“Apparently some things haven’t changed,” sighs Patrick. “Since we last spoke we had done two expansions of 1200m2 (so 2400m2 in total), but we are still short on space. “We are still waiting for the permit on the much needed second distillery. We are still in court over that because one neighbour decided to object to our beautiful plans.”

Then there has been the odd, unexpected distraction, such as a worldwide boom in gin consumption. It’s a core product for Zuidam, so has there been an impact? “I am afraid so!” says Patrick. “We have been hugely successful with our gins. Our gins are distilled from fresh botanicals, and that has been extremely well received by the consumer.

“We export all over the world. Exports are growing even faster than domestic sales. The great thing about exports is we get to do business with all those great people who work so hard to promote our products all over the world. Now the plan is to increase production and stock positions. We have beautiful old sherry casks to fill. We will continue to experiment and always try to improve ourselves.”

So no let up then. And as the business continues to expand, no doubt other problems will rear their ugly heads. But awards such as this year’s World Wizards World Distiller of the Year makes everything worthwhile in the end.

“Winning these awards is really important. We work 80 hours a week and these accolades together with the feedback we get from consumers are an important part of why we do what we do and why we have put all the effort in over the years, all the sleepless nights, and the time away from the family has at least not been for nothing.

“For my father, who started the distillery, in the difficult 70s, it has also meant a lot. He and mum had really hard times when they started, both financially as well as the seven day work weeks (me and my brother Gilbert literally grew up in the distillery). He is 84 now and has not been well since he had a stroke four years ago. But he was really, really emotional when we told him (about The Wizards).”

Forty-five years. It’s taken a lot of hard work and dedication. But Zuidam has stuck with its principles, and it’s paying off in droves.

TEN EUROPEAN WORLD DISTILLERIES WORTH CHECKING OUT

1. Distillerie Warenghem, France:

Maker of Armorik 6. Langatun. Switzerland:

Maker of Old Bear and Old Deer

2. Brauerei Locher, Appenzell, Switzerland:

Maker od Säntis

3. The Cotswolds Distillery, England

4. Penderyn Distillery, Wales

5. The Belgian Owl, Belgium 7. Broger Privatbrennerei, Austria

8. Spirit of Hven, Sweden

9. Stauning, Denmark

10. Slyrs, Germany