Synchronicity in Spirits

[Charles@AEppelTreow]

So I spent some of the Holidaze reading 'The Golden Compass'. (And enjoying it). Given that I like word play, etymology and the cross product of the two, I got some extra frun out of the book.

'brantwijn' was an easy enough drink to figure out.

'jenniver' was a bit tougher. Obviously a beverage, drunk by the gypsies that inhabit the swamps between England and Holland (sea level is lower in this fictional world). It took a little more looking to figure that one out - although my 1875 edition of the Complete Practical Distiller calls it 'Holland Geneva'.

And Bill O. sends out the newsletter, and low and behold, it looks like two stories on new Genever, or what ever spelling variation you prefer.

Now that's synchronicity in action.

[Gwydion Stone]

As an aside, I've heard many different pronunciations of genever. My wife is from Holland and assures me that the correct pronunciation is "yuh-NAY-fer" and rhymes with "a wafer." Here she is asking "May I have a glass of jenever, please?"

genever.mp3

"Mag ik een glas jenever, alstublieft?"