I went to a local yard sale yesterday and this was the first thing I saw. The woman holding the sale told me she couldn't sell it to me legally, so she gave it to me. I purchased a couple other things and added a dollar to what she asked for just to be a good sport. This little 5 1/2" bottle is full and sealed still, But I have no idea how old it is and how to sell it if I choose to. I have only seen a couple examples but were only pictures and one on the bottle collectors' site just identifying it with no age. Any information will be greatly appreciated. Mikey
Yes @kyratango is right. And it was made by Fovel distillers. One of the oldest distillers in Belgium at 120 years old. What I don't know is how old this bottle is. Mikey
We've been to Brussels many times. Menneken Pis is the famous fountain statue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manneken_Pis
Also, Genever is the Belgian version of Schnapps. It's deadly! Much stronger than English gin. There are as many brands as there are towns. We always bring some home. This is a typical genever bottle. It's probably still good.
The Belgian equivalent, not version. The Belgians (or Dutch for that matter) never set out to copy Schnaps. Schnaps is fruit based, jenever is based on malt wine to which juniper (Dutch: jenever) and herbs are added. Jenever/genever is considered original to the Dutch-speaking part of Europe and is an EU geographically protected name, just like Champagne. It can only be called jenever/genever if it is from Belgium, The Netherlands, French Flanders, part of the German Rhineland and another German region (which one escapes me just now).
Can anyone determine the age of this little bottle? Since I can't find another for sale, and I can't sell the bottle full I may have to empty it and just sell the bottle. Any thoughts or recommendations? Thank you @Any Jewelry for your explanation. Mikey
Given the spelling it dates from after the spelling reform of 1947. There is a Dutch Language Union between Belgium and The Netherlands, so Belgium has the same spelling reform time frame as we do. You'll have to drink it. A tough job, but someone has to do it. Or use it to preserve fruit.
That really wasn't what I had in mind for emptying it! Kind of Leary about drinking something that is older than me. Lol Mikey
I think it is a small distillery. I had never heard of it, but then I don't drink jenever. I have been to several jenever distilleries though, both in Hasselt, Belgium, and Schiedam, Netherlands. What can I say, I like distilleries.
From what I've found, the distillery, Stokerij Fovel, is family owned, and the owners are distillers themselves. This site has some photos, which give the impression it is a small distillery: https://cagnet.be/item/162250 It says here that Manneken Pis jenever was first distilled for the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Brussels, which was in 1979. Apparently sales of both Manneken Pis and another 1979 licquor saved the distillery from financial ruin, so again, probably a smallish business. It is in Dutch, so you'll have to believe me. http://www.erfgoedcelbrussel.be/nl/stokerij-fovel